Palaeogene Angiosperm flora and environmental implications of Intertrappean Series of Central India

Abstract

The Palaeogene represents the age of spread and diversification of angiosperms in the Indian sub-continent. The palaeogene plant megafossils of this region can broadly are considered under(i) Deccan Intertrappean flora of CentralIndia,(ii) Eocene flora of Kutch and(iii) Eocene plants fossils from Meghalaya. Among the fossil flora recovered from the Deccan Intertrappean sites of central India consists of well preserved fossil representing all the major groups of the Plant Kingdom. Among the reported angiosperms Aerorhizos,Aeschynomene,Cyperaceoxylon,Bridelioxylon(affinities with marshy Bridelia hamiltoniana),Nymphaeocaulon are the indicators of a marshy environment. Nipadites,Nypa,Cocos,Palmoxylon(Cocos) sundaram,Sonneratioxylon,Sahnianthus,Enigmocarpon,Viracarpon(affinities with Pandanaceae) are the indicators of coastal or estuarine,saline environment. Anogeissusoxylon,Boswellia,Phyllites,Sahnipushpum(affinities with Araceae),Ebenoxylon(affinities with Diospyros melanoxylon),Euphorbioxylon(affinities with Euphorbiaceae),Grewioxylon(affinities with Grewia tiliaefolia),Rhamnoxylon,Sapindoxylon,Syzygioxylon are capable of surviving in a climate not unlike the one prevailing presently in this region. Ailanthoxylon,Barringtonioxylon,Elaeocarpoxylon,Grewioxylon,Indocarpa(affinities with Guttiferae),Lagerstroemia,Musa and Musocaulon,Sparganium,Viracarpon are the indicators of a more humid climate in the past. The 38 species of Palmoxylon and 19 of other palm parts(Nypa excluded) variously described as Carpolithus,Deccanthus,Palmocarpon,Palmophyllum,Palmostrobus,Rhizopalmoxylon and Tricoccites are indicative of coastal habitat. Thus the reported flora consists of taxa belonging to marine,esturine,freshwater and terrestrial habitat with both evergreens to deciduous forms. It is suggestive of an equable warm and moist tropical climate over the whole of peninsular India during the Palaeogene.