Callialasporites sp. cf. C. ugensis Takahashi & Sugiyama, 1990 (Fig. 12N)

OCCURRENCE. — Ashikajima Fm (rare).

DESCRIPTION

Monosaccate pollen grain. Amb oval to subcircular. The central body is surrounded by a narrow and undulating equatorial saccus (5-8 µm). The exine is punctate on the thinned distal pole area. Equatorial diameter = 35-55 µm.

REMARKS

Two morphologically similar but larger species have been reported by Takahashi & Sugiyama (1990) from the Santonian of the Taneichi Formation, north-east Honshu, Japan (70-84 µm): Callialasporites ugensis Takahashi & Sugiyama, and by Kumar (1973) from the Lower Cretaceous of India (55-68 µm): Callialasporites doringii Kumar (previously named C. lenticularis (Döring, 1961) Venkatachala & Kar, 1969 by Singh & Kumar (1969): pl. 1, figs 15, 16). Deák (1962) reported a grain also showing similarities to ours: Inaperturopollenites undulatus Weyland & Greifeld, 1953 (pl. 12, figs 10, 13).

BOTANICAL AFFINITIES

Pinales . Archangelsky & Gamerro (1967) and Gamerro (1965, 1968)suggested similarities of grains of the genus Callialasporites with those observed in cones of Apterocladus lanceolatus Archangelsky (Podocarpaceae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Patagonia. Van Konijnenburg - Van Cittert (1971) reported abnormal grains of the same morphology in an Araucariaceae .