Occurrence of Permian Flora from South-Eastern Parts of the Talcher Basin, Odisha, India: Biostratigraphic and Paleoenvironmental Insights

The present study reports a plant megafossil assemblage of late Early Permian (late Artinskian–Kungurian) age from two major coal-bearing sectors of the Talcher Basin, that is, the Lingaraj and Utkal (C and D blocks) collieries, located within the Talcher–Chhendipada tract of Angul District, Odisha, eastern India. These collieries form part of the Lower Gondwana succession, which is widely regarded as a key archive of Permian terrestrial vegetation and floristic evolution in peninsular India. In all, 223 megafossil specimens were collected from fossiliferous grey shale horizons characterised by fine lamination and low-energy depositional attributes conducive to the preservation of delicate foliar and root remains. Of the total assemblage, 46 specimens were recovered from the Lingaraj mine and 177 from the Utkal (C and D) mine. The flora is dominated by glossopterid elements, particularly Glossopteris leaves and associated Vertebraria roots, constituting a characteristic component of the Gondwana plant assemblage. Taxonomic identification and morphographic evaluation were undertaken through detailed examination of lamina morphology, venation architecture, reticulation patterns, and midrib configuration of the leaves. The composition, taphonomic integrity, and dominance of glossopterid taxa collectively indicate sedimentation in low-energy, waterlogged environments, typical of coal-forming peat swamps within fluvio-deltaic to lacustrine settings. The fossil-bearing shale horizons reflect sustained hydromorphic conditions that favoured both high primary productivity and exceptional preservation potential. The floristic spectrum suggests the prevalence of a humid, cool-temperate climatic regime with seasonal variability during the late Early Permian, consistent with broader palaeoclimatic reconstructions of Gondwana. By providing new locality-specific palaeobotanical data from previously under-documented sectors of the Talcher Basin, this study refines regional biostratigraphic correlations and contributes to improved reconstructions of palaeovegetation, depositional settings, and palaeoclimate in eastern India during the later phases of the Early Permian.