Cycadopites sp. (Fig. 13J)

Cycadopites sp. A, Legrand, Palynologie des dépôts Jurassique supérieur et Crétacé inférieur du Japon, et provinces paléofloristiques du sud-est asiatique: 192, pl. XXI, fig. 2 (2009).

OCCURRENCE. — Kimigahama Fm.

DESCRIPTION

Monosulcate pollen grain. Amb ellipsoidal fusiform. A narrow furrow runs longitudinally through the grain, slightly widening at the ends; it can be bordered by folds of the exine (4 to 5 µm wide). The exine is thin (about 1 µm thick) and psilate. Length = 45-50 µm; width = 20-25 µm.

BOTANICAL AFFINITIES

Cycadales or Bennettitales (Balme 1995). The present Cycadales are distributed in the tropical to subtropical arid regions. The genus Cycadopites is often found associated with coal strata, and the habitat of this group is supposed to have been much more diversified than now (Singh 1964). Nevertheless, grains of the genus Cycadopites were found in situ in Sahnia Puri ( Pentoxylales, Pentoxylaceae) (Sukh-Dev 1980) and Lepidopteris Schimper emend. Townrow (Peltaspermales) (Anderson & Anderson 1983).