Charcoalified Wood of Hopenium pondicherriensis (Dipterocarpaceae) from Neyveli Lignite Formation

Abstract

The Neyveli lignite is one of the largest brown coal field of India, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The lignite it is one of tertiary formation found in the Neyveli, So far many mega and micro fossils reported from this formation. The Neyveli lignite well preserved and recognizable entities are mainly woody and non-woody tissues of different angiosperm plants, spore and pollen, cuticles of leaves, resins, fungal spores and fungal fruiting bodies. The present study is about the charcoalified angiospermic wood is identified as Hopenium pondicherriensis (Dipterocarpaceae). This is a first report of Hopenium pondicherriensis from the Neyveli formation.