Pliocene Albizia (Fabaceae) from Jharkhand, eastern India: reappraisal of its biogeography during the Cenozoic in Southeast Asia

Albizia, a diverse tree genus, occupies monsoonal warm humid rain forests in tropical and subtropical regions. We recovered well-preserved compound fossil leaf two fruits of Albizia (Fabaceae) from the latest Neogene (Rajdanda Formation: Pliocene) sediments Jharkhand Chotanagpur Plateau, eastern India. On basis architectural features leaf, new species is established as A. mahuadanrensis Hazra, Hazra Khan, n. sp., characterised by bipinnate, having rachis bearing opposite, asymmetrically ovate to sub-rhomboid leaflets, pulvinus on leaflet petiolule brochiodromous secondary veins. Based both morphological anatomical characters fruits, palaeoprocera sp. erected, flattened broadly linear shaped, wingless fruits; ovate-elliptic shaped seed chambers ellipsoidal seeds one series; irregularly polygonal rectangular epidermal cells with oblique end walls randomly oriented, scattered, paracytic stomata. Analysis occurrences indicates that legume taxon was common India elsewhere. The present-day distribution closely affiliated modern taxa environment during time deposition. also review biogeographic history other Asian countries.