Rodeites sahni reinvestigated II

Abstract

The paper describes the structure of a 5 cm. long petiole bearing five Rodeites sporocarps one above the other in a row, collected from the Mohgaonkalan beds of the Deccan Intertrappean Series of India. It shows in T.S. a well-defined epidermis, aerenchymatous cortex and a central angular horse-shoe shaped robust vascular strand. On comparison with petioles of Marsilia, Pilularia and Regnellidium it is observed that the present petiole is different from them in thickness, arrangement of vascular tissues and in the number of protoxylem groups.

Eleven indusial septae are seen clearly in one of the sporocarps. They are attached to the inner side of the sporocarp wall.

The petiole bearing sporocarps and sporocarp with eleven indusial septae are being recorded here for the first time. Observations in this paper support the previous study of Rodeites sporocarps by the authors indicating that Rodeites was not identical with Regnellidium. but was an extinct fourth genus of Marsileaceae showing more resemblance to Marsilea than to Regnellidium. A new species Rodeites polycarpa is created in this paper.