Fungalpedia – Note 167 Cucurbitariaceites

 

Cucurbitariaceites R.K. Kar, R.Y. Singh & S.C.D. Sah

Citation when using this data: Saxena RK & Hyde KD in prep – Fungalpedia, Fossil Fungi. Mycosphere.

Classification: Hermatomycetaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota

Index Fungorum, MycoBank, Fig. 1

The monotypic fossil genus, Cucurbitariaceites, was described by Kar et al. (1972) from the Tura Formation (Palaeocene, 66–56 mya) of Nongwal Bibra, Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India and was diagnosed as: “Pseudoperithecia subcircular to circular, 40-120 μm, outer region darker than inner, laevigate, Asci 1–20 μm, equal or unequal in size, cylindrical to somewhat bulging at tips in mature stage. No true paraphysis were observed, but in some specimens the basal part of asci may join together to form a broad irregular mesh like structure.” Thereafter, the type species (Cucurbitariaceites bellus) was recorded from various states of India, e.g. Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Mandal et al. 1996), Arunachal Pradesh (Mandaokar 2000a), Assam (Mandaokar 1991, 1993, 2005; Chakraborty 2004), Kerala (Varma & Patil 1985), Meghalaya (Tripathi 1989; Saxena et al. 1996), Mizoram (Mandaokar 2000b, 2002a, 2003, Kar et al. 2010) and Nagaland (Mandaokar 2002b). The spore is very similar to the modern Hermatomyces (Doilom et al. 2017)

Type species: Cucurbitariaceites bellus R.K. Kar, H.P. Singh & S.C.D. Sah

 

 

 

Figure 1 – Cucurbitariaceites bellus. Scale bar = 50 μm (redrawn from Kar, Singh & Sah 1972)

 

References

Chakraborty M. 2004 – Palynology of the Lakadong Sandstone (Late Palaeocene) exposed around Bhalukurung, North Cachar Hills, Assam. Palaeobotanist 53(1-3), 113–121.

Doilom M, Dissanayake AJ, Wanasinghe DN, Boonmee S et al. 2017 – Microfungi on Tectona grandis (teak) in Northern Thailand. Fungal Diversity 82, 107–182

Kar R, Mandaokar BD, Kar RK. 2010 – Fungal taxa from the Miocene sediments of Mizoram, northeast India. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 158, 240–249.

Kar RK, Singh RY, Sah SCD. 1972 – On some algal and fungal remains from Tura Formation of Garo Hills, Assam. Palaeobotanist 19(2), 146–154.

Mandal J, Chandra A, Kar RK. 1996 – Palynological findings from the mud volcanoes of Baratang Island (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Geophytology 25, 77–81.

Mandaokar BD. 1991 – Palynology of Miocene rocks around Maibong, Assam. Geophytology 20(1), 24–29.

Mandaokar BD. 1993 – A palynological investigation of the Tikak Parbat Formation (Oligocene) of Dangri Kumari Colliery, Dibrugarh District, Assam, India. Tertiary Research 14(4), 127–139.

Mandaokar BD. 2000a – Palynology of coal bearing sediments of the Tikak Parbat Formation (Oligocene) from Namchik River Section, Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Tertiary Research 20(1-4), 37–46.

Mandaokar BD. 2000b – Palynology and palaeoenvironment of the Bhuban Formation (Early Miocene) of Ramrikawn near Aizawl, Mizoram, India. Palaeobotanist 49(2), 317–324.

Mandaokar BD. 2002a – An interpretation of the palynology and palaeoecology of the Early Miocene Dulte Formation, Mizoram, India. Palaeobotanist 51(1-3), 113–121.

Mandaokar BD. 2002b – Palynological investigation of the Tikak Parbat Formation (Late Oligocene) of Borjan area, Nagaland, India. Minetech 23(1-2), 19–33.

Mandaokar BD. 2003 – Palynology and palaeoecological consideration of Middle Bhuban Formation (Miocene), Lawngtlai, Mizoram, India. Gondwana Geological Mag., Special Volume 6, 185–193.

Mandaokar BD. 2005 – Palynostratigraphy of the coal-bearing sediments of the Tikak Parbat Formation from Ledo Colliery, Makum Coalfield, Assam, India. Minetech 26(1), 46–55.

Saxena RK, Tripathi SKM, Prasad V. 1996 – Palynofloral investigation of the Tura Formation (Palaeocene) in Nongwal Bibra area, East Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Geophytology 26(1), 19–31.

Tripathi SKM. 1989 – Algal and fungal remains from Jowai-Sonapur Road Section (Palaeocene-Eocene), Meghalaya. Palaeobotanist 37(1), 63–74.

Varma YNR, Patil RS. 1985 – Fungal remains from the Tertiary carbonaceous clays of Tonakkal area, Kerala. Geophytology 15(2), 151–158.

 

Entry by

Ramesh K. Saxena, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India

 

Edited by Kevin D. Hyde

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