Resolution of fossil monocotyledonous roots to the natural taxa

Abstract

Monocotyledons possess endogenously originated adventitious roots. Such permineralized roots occur abundantly in the Cretaceous and onward horizons assigned to the artificial genera Rhizopalmoxylon Gothan, Aerorhizos Chitaley, Velamenorhizos Barlinge and Paradkar and Hygrorhizos Trivedi et al.. Fossil roots reported so far have not been described with uniform terminologies which lack precision and delimitations of the tissues. Considering a need to have uniform terminologies in the description of permineralized roots, a system based upon Seubert’s work has been proposed to describe the monocotyledonous roots.