Birbal Sahni, Indian geologist and palaeobotanist (Bhera, Shahpur District, West Punjab 14 November 1891 – Lucknow 10 April 1949)

Brother of geologist Mulk Raj Sahni and uncle of paleontologist Ashok Sahni

Made improvements in the technique of studying fossil plants

Discovered Pentoxyleae (1947), a new group of fossil gymnosperms

DESCRIBED FOSSIL PLANTAE GENERA

Asterochlaenopsis 1930

Austroclepsis 1932

Barakaria 1920 with Seward 

Buriadia 1920 with Seward

Cyclanthodendron 1944 with Surange

Enigmocarpon 1937

Indostrobus 1931

Massulites 1943 with H.S. Rao (Sporae)

Moranocladus 1926 with Seward

Nipaniophyllum 1948

Ontheodendron 1933 with A.R. Rao

Palaeosordaria 1943 with H.S. Rao

Pataloxylon 1920

Pondicherria 1933

Rajmahalia 1934 with A.R. Rao

Rodeites 1943

Sausarospermum 1934 with Srivastava

Takliostrobus 1931

Viracarpon 1934

HONORS (Fossil)

Birbalsahnia Bajpai & Maheshwari 1991 (Plantae)

Sahnia Vishnu-Mittre 1953 (Plantae)

Sahnites Pant 1955 (Sporae)

Sahnianthus Shukla 1944 (Plantae)

Sahnipushpan Shukla 1950 (Plantae)

Sahnispermum Manik 1993 (Plantae)

Sahnisporites Bhardwaj 1965 (Sporae)

Sahnioxylon Bose & Sah 1955 (Plantae)

Sahniocarpon Chitaley & Patil 1973 (Plantae)

Birbalina Sahni 1955 (Foraminifera)

Birbalomys Sahni & Khare 1973 (Mammalia)

His wife, Savitri Sahni, (19 September 1902 – Lucknow 26 April 1985), headed the Institute of Paleobotany of Lucknow (1949-69) after the death of founder Birbal Sahni

HONORS (Fossil)

Savitrisporites Bhardwaj 1956 (Sporae)

Savitrinia Nagy 1966 (Acritarcha)

Savitrispermum Manik 1987 (Plantae)