Lokhande Paya, Patil Sanjay and Dahegaonkar Rajesh
Abstract
The present paper deals with the description of a silicified sporocarp of a Azolla from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Marai Patan, Dist. Chandrapur, Maharashtra, India.The specimen was prepared by making cellulose acetate peels, after etching with hydrofluoric acid. The megaspore apparatus and microsporangial sorusare well-preserved. The megaspore apparatus contains only a single megaspore and floats are present in the proximal end of the megaspore. The upper part of the floats has a cap. The microsporangial sorus contains ten to twelve microsporangia. Each microsporangium contains three to five massulae. Each massula is filled with many microspores. Each massula is covered with many glochidia. In light of the comparison with fossil and living genera and families, it becomes evident that the sporocarp belongs to the genus Azolla, but has a combination of characters that distinguishes it from previously described species.