South Texas Petrified Wood

[Tunis]

Was recently driving through Live Oak County in South Texas when I picked up this piece of petrified wood. Not new to collecting but this is my first post. Please go easy on me. I am glad to find this site. Question: Can the type of wood be distinguished from the bark on this piece? The pattern looks so familiar to me but I can’t place it. It appears that the images are too large so I will post others in a reply to my message? Thanks in advance 

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2020 by Tunis
Spelling

[Tunis]

[Tunis]

[jeannie55]

I am absolutely no expert here. Well, if you need help diagramming a sentence or need to do a discourse analysis on ancient literature, then I’m the expert. From your first picture, I see coral colonies. I have one similar, but pictures are not as easy to identify characteristics as having it in your hands. The others here will know for sure.

[Tunis]

This is possibly a better picture, the piece has just been washed. The details show a little better. Is it palm?

 

 

[JohnJ]

Welcome, @Tunis.

 

Palmwood typically has much larger pores on the cross section and more of a 'tiger stripe' pattern looking at the long grain.  

 

It is also not "snakewood" (Mennegoxylon  jonesii).  The dotted pores in the end grain do not exhibit the the connected scale-like pattern or the separated banding distinctive to snakewood.  

 

That said, I'm not sure what type of wood it is.  Sometimes this determination can only be made using a microscope.  

 

Really nice find.