CHAROPHYTES FROM DECCAN INTERTRAPPEAN BEDS OF PENINSULAR INDIA - IMPLICATIONS FOR AGE AND CORRELATION OF DECCAN VOLCANICS

A taxonomically diverse charophyte assemblage from the Deccan intertra ppean beds around Gurmatkal (District Gulbarga, Karnataka), and a corr esponding assemblage from another intertrappean locality over 1500 Km to the north (Kora, District Kachchh, Gujarat), are described. The Gur matkal assemblage comprises 8 genera and 10 species, whereas the Kachc hh charophytes are assigned to 4 species. Several of the Gurmatkal tax a are common to other Deccan intertrappean localities of peninsular In dia. The assemblage includes cosmopolitan species such as Platychara p erlata and P. compressa whose presence is consistent with a Late Creta ceous (Maastrichtian) age indicated unambiguously by associated ostrac odes. Earlier age assignments (Upper Eocene-Oligocene) need to be disc ounted. Apparently there are no biostratigraphically resolvable tempor al differences between the Gurmatkal intertrappean beds and those outc ropping along the northwestern and eastern fringes of the Deccan volca nics.