New Species of Bennettitales from the Jurassic Rocks of Sri Lanka

Plant fossil-bearing mudstones of Jurassic age are present in a small faulted basin within the Precambrian basement rocks at Tabbowa village, in the North Western province of Sri Lanka. The present study was conducted in the Tabbowa sedimentary beds and reports discovery of two new plant species that could probably be affiliated to Otozamites of Bennettitales group that prevailed in the Jurassic period. The reported fossils of this study are included under this plant group on the basis of leaf size, leaflet shape, and venation patterns, in the absence of diagnostic cuticle details. The discussed features are a comparison with those of Type Specimens of Bennettitales and the details found in the literature. There are no previous records on these plant species from Sri Lanka or published reports elsewhere, the purpose of reporting the species is to document their systematic position in the plant world. Thus, the proposed names for new taxa are Otozamites latiphyllus Sri Lanka et.sp.nov.2012 and Otozamites tabbowensis Sri Lanka. et.sp.nov.2012. We consider that the proposed names of new taxa and descriptions expand the details of plant group of Jurassic Bennettitales facilitating advancement of scientific knowledge about this plant group.