The Palaeobotanist 65(2016): 297–303 0031–0174/2016 A fossil dicotyledonous wood of Ochnaceae from the Deccan Intertrappean sediments of Mahurzari, Nagpur District, Maharashtra, India D.D. RAMTEKE AND D.K. KAPGATE P.G. Department of Botany, J.M. Patel College, Bhandara (M.S.) 441904, India. Email: deeplifesc@gmail.com (Received 04 February, 2015; revised version accepted 06 June, 2016) ABSTRACT Ramteke DD & Kapgate DK 2016. A fossil dicotyledonous wood of Ochnaceae from the Deccan Intertrappean sediments of Mahurzari, Nagpur District, Maharashtra, India. The Palaeobotanist 65(2 ): 297–303. The paper describes anatomical details of fossil wood of family Ochnaceae, Ochnaceoxylon tertiera from the Deccan Intertrappean sediments. The wood is preserved in silicified chert from the Deccan Intertrappean beds exposed in a quarry near the village of Mahurzari, India about 14 km from Nagpur (lat. 21º13.280' N, long. 79º0.84' E). The wood described here is silicified measures about 10.5 cm in length and 4.6 cm in diameter. Its detailed anatomy is studied through Transverse Section (T.S.), Tangential Longitudinal Section (T.L.S.) and Radial Longitudinal Section (R.L.S.) planes. The wood is diffuse porous, vessels are mostly solitary and few are in multiples of two to three. Perforation plate is simple and obliquely placed; rays are biseriate to multiseriate and heterogenous, tyloses present. The wood is compared with modern families like Apocynaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Ochnaceae and Ericaceae. The reported fossil wood shows close resemblance with modern family Ochnaceae. Members of the family Ochnaceae are evergreen, mainly small trees or shrubs, and are presently distributed in tropical and subtropical forests and Savannas. The existence of wood shows the palaeoecological evidence during Maastrichtian. Key–words—Deccan Intertrappean beds, Fossil wood, Ochnaceoxylon tertiera, Palaeoecological. egkjk"Vª] Hkkjr esa ftyk ukxiqj] egqjt+jh ds nDdu vr%Vªsih volknksa ls izkIr vkWduslh dh thok'e n~fochti=kh dk"B Mh- Mh- jkeVsds ,oa Mh- ds- dixVs lkjka'k nDdu var%Vªsih volknksa ls izkIr vkWduslhvkWDlhykWu Vjf'kjk] vkWduslh dqVqac dh thok'e dk"B dk ;g 'kks/k i=k o.kZu djrk gSA dk"B Hkkjr esa ukxiqj (21º13.280' mRrj] 79º0.84' iwoZ) ls yxHkx 14 fdeh egqjt+jh ds lehi xzke dh [knku esa vukofjr nDdu var%Vªsih ls izkIr flfydhHkwr pVZ esa ifjjf{kr gSA ;gk¡ of.kZr flfydhHkwr dk"B 10-5 lseh yach vkSj 4-6 lseh O;kl dh gSA bldk foLr`r 'kkjhjh; v/;;u fNydk [kaM+ksa ds ek/;e ls fd;k x;k gS tks Vh-,l-] Vh-,y-,l- ,oa vkj-,y-,l- lery ds lkFk fy, x, FksA dk"B folfjr lja/kz gS] okfgdk,a T;knkrj ,dy gSa rFkk dqN nks ;k rhu dh xq.kt gSaA fNnz.k vk/kkj iV~fVdk lk/kkj.k gS vkSj fr;Zdrk ls LFkkfir gS( fdj.ksa nfoiad~frcn~/k ls cgqiad~frcn/k ,oa fo"kekaxh] Vkbykst fon~;eku gSaA dk"B ,iksuslh] fMIVsjksdkisZlh] vkWduslh ,oa ,fjdslh tSls vk/kqfud dqVqcksa ds rqY; gSA izLrqr thok'e dk"B vk/kqfud dqVqac vkWduslh ds lkFk fudV ln`'krk n'kkZrk gSA vkWduslh dqVqac ds lnL; lnkgfjr [kklrkSj ij NksVs isM+ ;k >kfM+;k¡ gSaA fQygky fo'o ds m".kdfVca/kh; vkSj mim".kdfVca/kh; ouksa ,oa lokuk esa forfjr gSA dk"B dk vfLrRo ekLVªhfD'k;u ouLifr&tkr ds nkSjku iqjkikfjfLFkfrdh; izek.k n'kkZrk gSA lwpd 'kCnµnDdu var%Vªsih laLrjsa] thok'e dk"B] vkWduslhvkWDlhykWu Vjf'kjk] iqjkikfjfLFkfrdh;A © Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, India 298 THE PALAEOBOTANIST INTRODUCTION NATOMICAL details of the well preserved petrified dicotyledonous fossil wood of family Ochnaceae is described in this paper. Ochnaceae family comprises 53 genera and some 600 species of tropical trees and shrubs, and a few genera of herbs. The tropical African and Asian genus Ochna has nearly 90 species. The megafossil record of the Ochnaceae reveals an intriguing biogeographical pattern. Fossils are known currently from only two Palaeogene sites: leaves from the Early Eocene, Mississippi (Danehy et al., 2007) and the Paleoochna fruits (Stefanie et al., 2015) from the Late Palaeocene. We lack direct evidence of family Ochnaceae from Deccan Intertrappean beds of central India. The Deccan Intertrappean beds in which Ochnaceoxylon occurs are sedimentary strata of lacustrine and fluviatile deposition, interbedded between successive basalt flows. The basalts were formed during the latest Cretaceous and Palaeocene as a result of volcanic eruptions and outpouring and subsequent cooling of lava which spread over a greater part of central, south–east and south–west of the peninsular India covering an area of about 525,000 sq km. These eruptions occurred over an interval of about 3 million years (ca 67–64 Ma; Hooper et al., 2010). Biogeographic affinities of the Deccan flora are of interest because the Indian subcontinent had not yet affixed to Asia, and is expected to contain elements of Gondwanan affinity, possibly reflecting former connection with Madagascar, and/or unique taxa that differentiated while the subcontinent was isolated from other land masses (Bajpai, 2010). The petrified well preserved fossil angiospermous dicotyledonous wood collected during field visit from Deccan Intertrappean Sedimentary beds lies at Mahurzari, about 14 km from Nagpur (lat. 21º13.280' N, long. 79º0.84' E) (Fig. 1). However, angiosperms are abundant during the Deccan volcanism and the studies advocated that most of the Intertrappean exposures are Maastrichtian in age. The Deccan Intertrappean flora of India occupies a unique position in the palaeovegetational history of India. The fossil flora is represented by a variety of well–preserved woods, leaves, fruits, flowers belonging to all major plant groups (Prakash, 1960; Chitaley, 1962; Bande et al., 1988; Bande & Chandra, 1990; Kapgate, 2005). So far, fossil megafloral records from this locality, include a monocot fruit Viracarpon sahnii (Chitaley et al., 1969), a flower Sahnipushpam Shukla (Kapgate et al., 2011) oldest fruits of the grape family–Vitaceae (Manchester et al., 2013), monocot wood Palmoxylon eocenum (Prakash, A Fig. 1—Western and central India showing extent of Deccan basalts (green), showing fossil locality Mahurzari (marked by star). Base map modified from GSI. 1962a), few dicot leaf impressions (Trivedi, 1956) and dicot woods like Ailanthoxylon mahurzariense (Shallom, 1959b; Idem, 1961), Anacardioxylon semicarpoides (Prakash & Dayal, 1965b), Aeschynomene tertiara (Prakash, 1962b, 1963, Idem, 1962), wood of Rutaceae (Chitaley & Shallom, 1962), Elaeocarpoxylon antiquum (Prakash & Dayal, 1964), Grewioxylon mahurzariense (Prakash & Dayal, 1963), Simarubaceoxylon mahurzarii (Idem, 1959; Shallom, 1959a), Simarubaceoxylon indicum (Prakash, 1962c), Barringtonioxylon eopterocarpum (Prakash & Dayal, 1965a), Hibiscoxylon intertrappeum (Trivedi & Ambwani, 1971), Erythroxylon mahurzarii (Kapgate, 2007), Burseraceoxylon barbadense (Sheikh, 2011). The present investigation of fossil wood resembling the Ochnaceae from this locality is discussed. MATERIAL AND METHODS A well preserved silicified piece of fossil wood is collected in in–situ condition. The specimen is cut in transverse, tangential longitudinal and radial longitudinal plane for revealing xylotomical characters. Peel sections are taken after etching with hydrofluoric acid and thoroughly washed with water (Darrah, 1936; Joy et al., 1956; Stewart & Tylor, 1965; Holmes & Lopez, 1986; Kapgate et al., PLATE 1 1. 2. 3. T.S. of fossil wood showing distribution of vessels. × 50. T.L.S. showing distribution of xylem rays, fibres and vessels. × 50. T.L.S. showing xylem rays and xylem parenchyma. × 100. 4. 5. 6. R.L.S. showing heterogenous nature of the rays. × 100. Perforation plates on the vessel. × 180. Intervessel pit pairs. × 250. RAMTEKE & KAPGATE—A FOSSIL DICOTYLEDONOUS WOOD OF OCHNACEAE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA 200μ 500μ 100μ 200μ 50μ 50μ PLATE 1 299 300 THE PALAEOBOTANIST 2011). The peels were mounted in DPX and observed under microscope for detail study. Description—Fossil wood specimen measures about 4.6 cm in diameter and 10.5 cm in length. The primary tissue and growth rings are absent. The secondary wood is diffuse porous. It consists of vessels, wood parenchyma, wood rays and wood fibres (Pl. 1). Vessels—Vessels are of medium sized, mostly solitary; few are in radial multiples of 2–5, circular in transverse plane, with single layer boundary wall (Pl. 1.1, Fig. 2.1). The tangential diameter of the vessels is 100–180 µm and radial diameter 90–160 µm. The vessel frequency is 12–15 per square mm. Vessel parenchyma present. Perforation plates are oblique and simple (Pl. 1.5). Intervascular pit pairs are opposite, bordered and polygonal, measure about 25–30 µm in diameter (Pl. 1.6, Fig. 2.2). Pit pores are oval in shape. Tyloses present (Pl. 1.1, Fig. 2.1). Xylem parenchyma—The wood parenchyma cells are thin walled, paratracheal, vasicentric and single layered around the vessel. Cells of wood parenchyma are elongate (Pl. 1.3), 40–50 µm in diameter and 40–110 µm in length. Wood rays—Rays are heterogenous, small and contiguous with vessels (Pl. 1.4, Fig. 2.5). Perforation plates are simple. The rays are biseriate to multiseriate (Pl. 1.3, Figs 2.3, 4). The biseriate xylem rays are 16–25 cells in height and measure up to 40–50 µm in diameter. The multiseriate xylem rays are 24–40 cells in height and measure up to 90–120 µm in diameter. The frequency of xylem rays is measures 8–10 per square mm. Bordered pitting observed in the few cells of the rays. Narrow and broad rays are clearly differentiated. Narrow rays are comparatively abundant. Broad rays are few. Both the types of xylem rays are intermixed with each other. Wood fibres—The wood fibres are thin walled and elongated. They form a major mass of the wood. In transverse section they are squarish to hexagonal in shape (Pl. 1.3), usually non septate, few are septate and measure up to 250–560 µm in length and 40–50 µm. in diameter. All these fibres are storied. Simple pits are present on the fibre wall. DISCUSSION AND IDENTIFICATION From the above study the fossil wood specimen shows following anatomical features. • Diffuse porous wood. • Mostly solitary vessels with few in multiple of two to five. • Simple and obliquely placed perforation plate. • Paratracheal, vasicentric xylem parenchyma. • Biseriate to multiseriate and heterogenous rays. • Bordered and opposite intervascular pit. • Squarish to hexagonal, non septate fibres, sometimes septate and storied. • Multiseriate, heterogenous and contiguous wood rays with bordered pits. • Tyloses present. By considering above features, for identification of the present fossil wood, key given by Records and Chattaway (1939), Metcalfe & Chalk (1950) and Shallom (1963) were used. The characters of the specimen mentioned above suggest its relationship to the wood of the following families (Metcalfe & Chalk, 1950; Esau, 1970; Fahn, 1989). • Acanthaceae • Apocynaceae • Dipterocarpaceae • Ochnaceae • Ericaceae COMPARISON The present wood resembles those of family Acanthaceae in possessing characters like, diffuse porous wood, mostly solitary vessels, simple perforation plates, alternate pitting and presence of tyloses. But this family differs in presence of small size vessels, variable parenchyma, commonly verse space or absent, exclusively uniseriate homogenous rays with conspicuous intercellular spaces and septate fibres. It also resembles family Apocynaceae in possessing characters like mostly solitary vessels, simple perforation, paratracheal, vesicentric parenchyma, heterogenous rays, typically 2–3 cells wide, thin walled fibres, elongated, pitting with small or distinct borders of medium to moderately short length. But this family differs in exclusively uniseriate rays, sometimes 3–5 cells wide and more than 1 mm high. The present wood specimen is also comparable with family Dipterocarpaceae in possessing characters like few to numerous vessels, simple perforation plates, alternate intervascular pitting, paratracheal, vasicentric parenchyma, heterogenous rays, fibres with simple or distinctly bordered pits and presence of tyloses. But this family differs in scattered parenchyma, radial multiples of 4 or more cells, fibriform vessel members, typically apotracheal parenchyma, up to 4–8 cells wide rays, variable in height, more than 1 mm high and presence of intercellular canals. The present wood also shows affinities with family Ericaceae in possessing characters like solitary vessels, simple perforation plates, paratracheal parenchyma, intervascular pitting opposite, heterogenous rays, ray frequency is 10–15 per sq. mm, fibres septate, pits simple. But this family differs in very small vessels, more than 1 mm high bordered interfibre pits and 3–10 cells wide rays. The present wood sample shows greatest resemblance to the wood of family Ochnaceae in having vessels of medium size (100 µ) with 10–15 per square mm frequency, typically simple and oblique bordered perforation plates, presence of tyloses, abundantly paratracheal vasicentric parenchyma, biseriate to multiseriate, heterogenous medullary rays and distinctly bordered pitting fibres of medium length. Thus as RAMTEKE & KAPGATE—A FOSSIL DICOTYLEDONOUS WOOD OF OCHNACEAE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA 301 Fig. 2—1. T.S. of wood showing distribution of vessels and fibres, 2. intervascular pit pairs, 3. multiseriate wood ray, 4. biseriate wood ray, 5. R.L.S. of wood showing heterogenous wood rays. 302 THE PALAEOBOTANIST compared to other families, the present fossil wood closely resembles the family Ochnaceae. Generic diagnosis Ochnaceoxylon gen. nov. Wood diffuse porous, growth rings absent, vessels medium sized, mostly solitary, perforation plate simple and oblique, intervascular pit pairs opposite and bordered, xylem parenchyma paratracheal vasicentric, wood rays heterogenous, bi– to multiseriate, fibre non septate, few are septed and storied. Specific diagnosis Ochnaceoxylon tertiera gen. et sp. nov. Central pith is not distinguished. Growth rings are absent. Vessels are of medium sized, solitary, few are radial multiple of two to five. Vessel having tangential diameter 100–180 µm, radial diameter 90–160 µm. Their boundary walls are thick. Vessel frequency 12–15 per square mm. Rays are contiguous with vessels. Perforation plates are oblique and simple. Intervascular pit pairs opposite, bordered and polygonal. Pit pores are oval in shape. Xylem parenchyma cells are thin walled, paratracheal, vasicentric and one layer around the vessel. Xylem rays are heterogenous and are bi– to multiseriate. Biseriate rays are of 16 to 25 cells in height and 40–50 µm in diameter. Multiseriate rays are 24 to 40 cells in height and 90–120 µm in diameter. Frequency of xylem ray is 8 to 10 per square mm. Narrow rays are comparatively abundant than broad rays. Both narrow and broad rays are intermingled with each other. Wood fibres are non–septate, few are septate and storied, elongated, square to hexagonal, 250–560 µm in length, 40–50 µm in diameter. Holotype—DDR/Deposited at Botany Department, J.M. Patel College, Bhandara. Horizon—Deccan Intertrappean Series of India. Locality—Mahurzari, near Nagpur (M.S.) India. Age—Maastrichtian–Palaeogene. REFERENCES Bajpai S 2010. Biotic perspective of the Deccan volcanism and India—Asia collision: Recent advances. Current Trends in Science. Platinum Jubilee: 505–517. Bande MB, Chandra A, Venkatachala BS & Mehrotra RC 1988. Deccan Intertrappean floristics and its stratigraphic implications. Proceedings of Symposium Palaeocene of India: Limits and subdivision. Indian Association of Palynostratigraphers, Lucknow: 83–123. Bande MB & Shaila Chandra 1990. Early Tertiary vegetational reconstructions around Nagpur, Chhindwara and Mandla, central India. The Palaeobotanist 38: 196–208. Chitaley SD 1962. Synopsis of the literature on Deccan Intertrappean flora of India. Published during 1928–1960. Nagpur Times Publication: 1–68. Chitaley SD & Shallom LJ 1962. A fossil wood of Rutaceae from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of India. Proceedings of Rajasthan Academic Science 9: 31–34. Chitaley SD, Shallom LJ & Mehta NV 1969. Viracarpon sahnii sp. nov. from Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. J. Sen Memorial Volume: 331–334. Danehy DR, Wilf P & Little SA 2007. Early Eocene macroflora from the Red Hot Truck Stop locality (Meridian, Mississippi, USA). Palaeontol Electron 10: 17A. Darrah HC 1936. A peel method in Palaeobotany. Harward University Bot. Nus. Leaflet 4: 69–85. Esau K 1970. Anatomy of seed plants. John Wiley and Sons. Inc. New York: 355. Fahn A 1989. Plant Anatomy 3rd Edi. Pergamon Press, New York, 211. Holmes J & Lopez J 1986. The disappearing peel technique: an improved method for studying permineralized plant tissue. Palaeontology 29: 66–70. Hooper P, Widdowson M & Kelley S 2010. Tectonic setting and timing of the final Deccan flood basalt eruptions. Geology 38: 839–842. Idem 1959. Simarubaceoxylon mahurzarii gen. et sp. nov., A new fossil wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. Journal of Indian Botanical Society 39: 198–203. Idem 1961. Ailanthoxylon mahurzarii sp. nov. new fossil dicotyledonous wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. The Palaeobotanist 8: 65–68. Idem 1962. Aeschynomene tertiara a new fossil wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari near Nagpur, India. Ibid 1: 1–6. Joy KW, Willis AJ & Lacey WS 1956. A rapid cellulose peel technique in Palaeobotany. Annals of Botany (N.S.) 20: 635–637. Kapgate DK 2005. Megafloral analysis of Intertrappean sediments with focus on diversity and abundance of flora of Mohgaonkalan, Mandla and adjoining areas of Madhya Pradesh. Gondwana Geological Magazine 20: 11–24. Kapgate DK 2007. Report of a Erythroxylon mahurzarii wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Gondwana Geological Magazine 22: 109–114. Kapgate DK, Awasthi N, Manchester SR & Chitaley SD 2011. Inflorescences and flowers of Sahnipushpam Shukla from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of India. Acta Palaeobotanica 51: 207–227. Manchester SR, Kapgate DK & Jun Wen 2013. Oldest fruits of the grape family (Vitaceae) from the Late Cretaceous Deccan cherts of India. American Journal of Botany 100: 1849–1859. Metcalfe CR & Chalk L 1950. Anatomy of Dicotyledons. Oxford University at the Clarendon Press, London I: 499 . Prakash U 1960. A survey of Deccan Intertrappean flora of India. Journal of Palaeontology 34: 1027–1040. Prakash U 1962a. Palmoxylon eocenum sp. nov. from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. The Palaeobotanist 10: 6–9. Prakash U 1962b. Aeschynomene tertiara a new fossil wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari near Nagpur. Nature, London 194(48): 314. Prakash U 1962c. Further observation on Simarubaceoxylon indicum. The Palaeobotanist 11: 144–148. Prakash U 1963. Aeschynomene tertiara a new fossil wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari near Nagpur. The Palaeobotanist 11: 1–9. Prakash U & Dayal R 1963. Fossil wood resembling Grewia from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari near Nagpur, India. Current Science 32: 315–316. Prakash U & Dayal R 1964. Fossil wood resembling Elaeocarpus and Leea from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. The Palaeobotanist 12: 121–127. Prakash U & Dayal R 1965a. Barringtonioxylon eopterocarpum sp. nov. a fossil wood of Lecythidaceae from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. The Palaeobotanist 13: 25–29. Prakash U & Dayal R 1965b. Fossil wood resembling Semecarpon from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari near Nagpur. The Palaeobotanist 13: 158–162. RAMTEKE & KAPGATE—A FOSSIL DICOTYLEDONOUS WOOD OF OCHNACEAE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA Records SJ & Chattaway 1939. List of anatomical feature used in classifying Dicotyledonous woods. Trap Woods 57: 11–16. Shallom LJ 1959a. Simarubaceoxylon mahurzarii gen. et sp. nov., a new fossil wood from Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. Current Science 28: 168–169. Shallom LJ 1959b. Ailanthoxylon mahurzariense sp. nov. new fossil dicotyledonous wood from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurzari. The Palaeobotanist 8: 65–68. Shallom LJ 1963. Contribution to the knowledge of the Deccan Intertrappean flora of India. Ph.D. Thesis, Nagpur University, Nagpur. Sheikh MT 2011. A fossil wood Burseraceoxylon barbadense gen. et sp. nov., from Mahurzari Nagpur. The Botanique 15: 1–2. Stefanie M Ickert–Bond, Kathleen B Pigg, & Melanie L DeVore 2015. 303 Paleoochna tiffneyi gen. et sp. nov. (Ochnaceae) from the late Paleocene Almont/Beicegel Creek Flora, North Dakota, USA. International Journal of Plant Science 176: 892–900. Stewart WN & Taylor TN 1965. The peel technique. In handed B. s. book of paleontological Technique, Kummel & D. Raup. San Francisco pp. 224–232. Trivedi TK 1956. Fossil dicotyledonous leaf from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Bharatwara. Journal of Palaeontological Society of India1: 184–188. Trivedi BS & Ambwani 1971. Occurrence of Hibiscoxylon intertrappea sp. nov. from the Deccan Intertrappean Series of Mahurzari near Nagpur. Current Science 40: 167–168.