OPAL PHYTOLITHS IN THREE INDIAN THELYPTEROID FERNS

Opal phytoliths have been recovered from fresh leaf laminae of Christella dentata(Forssk.) Brownsey & Jermy, Ampelopteris prolifera (Retz.) Copel. and Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H. Itô of family Thelypteridaceae. In all these plant materials most phytoliths are three dimensional, nearly globular to amorphous, hyaline and with smooth or granular surfaces. Few are thick plate-like with irregular margins. Size varies from 6-35 μm in length and 4-33 μm in width.