2 Systematic Descriptions
91
here that striate/taeniate pollen without sacci were found to be immature pollen
of Glossopteris!
Sub-turma: PRAECOLPATES (Potonie and Kremp 1954).
Genus Marsupipollenites (Balme and Hennelly) (Balme 1970).
Diagnosis: Monocolpate, trilete. Amb of unexpanded grain sub-circular to oval.
Expanded grain circular to sub-circular. Endexine thin, hyaline and smooth.
Ektexine structured.
Known distribution: Permian of Australia (Balme and Hennelly 1956), Permian
of India (Banerjee and D’Rozario 1990), Permian of Antarctica (Farabee et al.
1990).
Remarks and discussion: Marsupipollenites was originally described by Balme
and Hennelly (1956) from the Permian of New South Wales. However, the form
was recorded and described earlier from the Permian of Collie Basin, Western
Australia, but not named (Balme 1952; de Jersey 1962; Dulhunty 1946).
Spores closely resembling Marsupipollenites were isolated by Pant and Nautiyal
(1960) from the probable Pteridosperm sporangia Polytheca elongata (Pant and
Nautiyal 1960). The close resemblance and possible affinity between P. elongata
and Marsupipollenites was discussed by Pant and Nautiyal.
Marsupipollenites triradiatus (Balme and Hennelly 1956) (Fig. 2.66).
Occurrence: Abundant in all Upper Permian samples examined. Rare in the
Artinskian and absent from Sakmarian samples.
Description: Monocolpate, trilete. Amb of unexpanded grain oval or oblate.
Expanded grain circular. Proximally trilete; laesurae short and clearly outlined.
Sutures occasionaly unequally developed. Distally monocolpate; colpus extend
whole or almost whole length of grain, varies in shape from being evenly wide all
along or slightly contracted in polar area, or widening at the extremities. Occasionally colpus bordered by folds. Colpus is made of endexine only, lacking in ektexinal layer. Endexine smooth, hyaline and frequently folded. In expanded grains
endexine ruptured, rolled and folded along rims. Ektexine about 1 µ and structured. Structure is intra-punctate, intra-granulate to intra-verrucate with closely
packed elements.
Dimensions: Length; 40–70 µ, width; 30–65 µ (25 specimens measured).
Remarks and comparison: M. triradiatus is distinguished from Marsupipollenites
striatus (Balme and Hennelly 1956) by the character of its structure; elements
are arranged in bands in M. striatus. There seems to be also a difference in its
distribution; M. striatus being common in the Artinskian, while M. triradiatus in
abundant in the Upper Permian.
Marsupipollenites reconstructed
Sub-turma: MONOCOLPATES (Wodehouse 1935; Iversen and Troel-Smith
1950).
Genus Entylissa (Naumova) (Potonie and Kremp 1955).
Diagnosis: Spindle-shaped, monocolpate pollen grain. Colpus extends whole
length of grain, and widens at its extremities.
91
here that striate/taeniate pollen without sacci were found to be immature pollen
of Glossopteris!
Sub-turma: PRAECOLPATES (Potonie and Kremp 1954).
Genus Marsupipollenites (Balme and Hennelly) (Balme 1970).
Diagnosis: Monocolpate, trilete. Amb of unexpanded grain sub-circular to oval.
Expanded grain circular to sub-circular. Endexine thin, hyaline and smooth.
Ektexine structured.
Known distribution: Permian of Australia (Balme and Hennelly 1956), Permian
of India (Banerjee and D’Rozario 1990), Permian of Antarctica (Farabee et al.
1990).
Remarks and discussion: Marsupipollenites was originally described by Balme
and Hennelly (1956) from the Permian of New South Wales. However, the form
was recorded and described earlier from the Permian of Collie Basin, Western
Australia, but not named (Balme 1952; de Jersey 1962; Dulhunty 1946).
Spores closely resembling Marsupipollenites were isolated by Pant and Nautiyal
(1960) from the probable Pteridosperm sporangia Polytheca elongata (Pant and
Nautiyal 1960). The close resemblance and possible affinity between P. elongata
and Marsupipollenites was discussed by Pant and Nautiyal.
Marsupipollenites triradiatus (Balme and Hennelly 1956) (Fig. 2.66).
Occurrence: Abundant in all Upper Permian samples examined. Rare in the
Artinskian and absent from Sakmarian samples.
Description: Monocolpate, trilete. Amb of unexpanded grain oval or oblate.
Expanded grain circular. Proximally trilete; laesurae short and clearly outlined.
Sutures occasionaly unequally developed. Distally monocolpate; colpus extend
whole or almost whole length of grain, varies in shape from being evenly wide all
along or slightly contracted in polar area, or widening at the extremities. Occasionally colpus bordered by folds. Colpus is made of endexine only, lacking in ektexinal layer. Endexine smooth, hyaline and frequently folded. In expanded grains
endexine ruptured, rolled and folded along rims. Ektexine about 1 µ and structured. Structure is intra-punctate, intra-granulate to intra-verrucate with closely
packed elements.
Dimensions: Length; 40–70 µ, width; 30–65 µ (25 specimens measured).
Remarks and comparison: M. triradiatus is distinguished from Marsupipollenites
striatus (Balme and Hennelly 1956) by the character of its structure; elements
are arranged in bands in M. striatus. There seems to be also a difference in its
distribution; M. striatus being common in the Artinskian, while M. triradiatus in
abundant in the Upper Permian.
Marsupipollenites reconstructed
Sub-turma: MONOCOLPATES (Wodehouse 1935; Iversen and Troel-Smith
1950).
Genus Entylissa (Naumova) (Potonie and Kremp 1955).
Diagnosis: Spindle-shaped, monocolpate pollen grain. Colpus extends whole
length of grain, and widens at its extremities.