ORMOSIOXYLON CHINJIENSIS SP NOV., A NEW FOSSIL WOOD OF FAMILY FABACEAE FROM THE CHINJI FORMATION SALT RANGE PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

The present work deals with anatomical study of fossil wood collected from the Chinji formation (72 degrees 22' E, 32 degrees 4' N) of Miocene age exposed at the Chinji National Reserve at salt Range Punjab, Pakistan. The material consisted of a single piece of petrified wood. Taxonomical characters of the fossil wood were compared with modern and fossil wood. The sample wood was found comparable to the family Fabaceae. The closest resemblance of the fossil wood was with the wood of Ormosia. The fossil wood under investigation showed close resemblance of vessels, fibers, parenchyma and xylem rays, with the genus Ormosia but shows differences from already reported species of this genus. Hence it is described as a new species as Ormosioxylon chinjiensis sp. nov. The specific epithet refers to Chinji Formation from which the fossil wood is collected.