Bisaccate pollen from the Early Permian OSPZ3a Sub-Biozone of the Lower Gharif Member, Oman

The OSPZ3a Sub-Biozone, associated with the lowest part of the Lower Gharif Member, is part of biozonal scheme that was intended to unify the palynological schemes across Arabia. This paper describes and illustrates the main bisaccate pollen taxa from the OSPZ3a Sub-Biozone of the Well A cored well, Oman, between 2842.69 and 2852.82 m, where they are unusually well preserved. Pteruchipollenites indarraensis which is the most common bisaccate pollen taxon, reaching 40 to 50% of assemblages, is here placed in synonymy with Alisporites tenuicorpus Balme, 1970, the latter being its junior synonym. Striatopodocarpites cancellatus consistently first occurs in the OSPZ3a Sub-Biozone, and well-preserved specimens are present in Well A, but Arabian specimens appear to have a wider range of morphology, mainly in the arrangement of taeniae, than the type material. The relationship of the genus Striatopodocarpites to Verticipollenites Bharadwaj, 1962, Lahirites Bharadwaj, 1962 and Hindipollenites Bharadwaj, 1962 is also examined with the result that Striatopodocarpites is asserted as the senior synonym. The taeniate bisaccate pollen Hamiapollenites fusiformis Marques-Toigo, 1974 is unusually common in the Well A assemblages and its morphology is found to be distinct from the similar multi-taeniate bisaccate taxon Striatoabieites multistriatus (Balme and Hennelly) Hart, 1964, with which it is sometimes placed in synonymy.