Correspondence

Abstract

A new species of Nidpuria Pant and Basu, Nidpuria falcatum associated with vegetative shoots is described from the Triassic of Nidpur, M.P., India. The lax fructification of unknown length is unbranched and has a dorsiventrally flattened striated axis bearing whorls of sessile decurrent opposite decussately arranged microsporophylls at nodes. All parts of the fructification bear profuse uni-multicellular, uniseriate falcate hairs. Each ovate to boat shaped univeined microsporophyll subtends two stalked axiliary microsporangia adaxially. Each microsporangium is concave adaxially and convex to plano-convex abaxially, ovate to subulate with a mucronated tip, tapered base and shows a lateral line of dehiscence. The cone axis yields two cuticles of varying thickness. Both are non-stomatiferous and profusely hairy. The adaxial cuticle is thick showing vertically arranged rectangular to polygonal cells while the abaxial cuticle is thin showing longitudinally aligned rectangularly elongated thin walled cells. The microsporophyll is also bifacial. Both upper and lower cuticles are stomatiferous and structurally distinct. Each microsporangium yields two cuticles on maceration. The outer cuticle is hairy and stomatiferous while the inner is smooth and non-stomatiferous. Inside the microsporangia are bisaccate pollen-grains.Associated with the fructification are vegetative shoots with flattened, winged, unbranched to branched axes bearing closely overlapping univeined leaves having decurrent bases and mucronated tips. The leaves are linear-lanceolate to ovate, bifacial, amphistomatic with hairy margins. Axis of shoot is generally obscured by bases of closely overlapping leaves. Naked axes without an armor of leaves are observed on rare occasions. Maceration of such axes also yields two structurally distinct non-stomatiferous cuticles of varying thickness. Structural features of leaves and shoot are apparently similar to microsporophylls and axes of the fructification.