First Report of Genus Gangamopteris from Gondwana Sediments of Ib-River Coalfield, Orissa

The flora from the Early Permian sediments (Barakar Formation) exposed in Jurabaga and Lajkura Collieries in the Ib-River Coalfield of the Mahanadi Basin includes nineteen genera representing eight groups viz lycopodiales, equlsetales, sphenophylales, filicales cordaitales, coniferales ginkgoales, and glossoptendafes. The genus Gangamopteris reported for the first time from Ib-River Coalfield and has been studied in this per. It is represented by seven species viz G angustlfalia, G buriadica, G cyclopteroides, G hispida, G rajaensis, G major and G obtusifolia and constitutes about 4 23% of the total plant assemblage collected from this coalfield. The species G cyclopteroides rests at the top with a share of 3 1 43% followed by G buriadica (22 86 %) in this coalfield. The beds of Jurabaga and Lajkura Collienes have been assessed as Early Barakar and Late Barakm on the basis of two different kinds of floral zones (lower and upper) found preserved in them.