FOSSIL POLLEN OF ALANGIUM FROM THE EOCENE LIGNITE OF GUJARAT, INDIA, WITH COMMENTS ON ITS STRATIGRAPHIC ANTIQUITY

Palynological studies on the Rajpardi lignite of Gujarat have yielded plentiful pollen grains closely comparable to those of extant Alangium Lamarck. These palynomorphs have been described under five different species of Lanagiopollis Morley (L. microrugulatus Morley, L. emarginatus Morley, L. ruguloreticulatus sp. nov., L. reitsmae sp. nov. and L. rugulatus sp. nov.) and Pellicieroipollis langenheimii Sah and Kar. The characteristic palynoflora of the Rajpardi lignite, as compared with those from other Tertiary deposits of India, indicates that this deposit of the Tarkeswar Formation is most probably of Early to Middle Eocene age. Detailed appraisal of the available Indian literature on fossil Alangium indicates that the section Marlea possibly existed in India during the Late Paleocene. Subsequently, during the Eocene it was accompanied by members of the section Conostigma. The section Alangium, however, appeared later, sometime during the Miocene. © 1990.