Plant fossil

[Rockwood]

This was found in a glacial deposit in north eastern Maine. It seems reasonable to suspect that it's from a terrestrial formation roughly contemporaneous with the better known Trout Valley formation which contains the state fossil Pertica quadrifaria. Does the center photo show somewhat exceptional preservation of internal structure ?

[erose]

Looks like the scrappy stuff that you find in the Catskill Delta deposits. I never had much luck identifying any of that stuff.

[fossilcrazy]

Nice find. It is not so easy finding Middle Devonian plants, especially when Baxter Park is off limits to collecting.

[FossilDAWG]

I'm not sure about the "internal structure". Those features may be sporangia. At any rate, I think it's a pretty nice find for a Devonian plant. Most specimens are somewhat "scrappy" at best.

Don

Edited October 3, 2015 by FossilDAWG

[Rockwood]

I'm not sure about the "internal structure". Those features may be sporangia. At any rate, I think it's a pretty nice find for a Devonian plant. Most specimens are somewhat "scrappy" at best.

Don

Thanks. Sporangia seems like a distinct possibility that I hadn't considered.

Here are a couple more from the same area that illustrate the scrappynes scale. Does the one on the left tend to support the Pertica ID ? The one on the right I think represents the higher energy environment in the Mapleton formation.

[Wrangellian]

I agree with Don!

[Plantguy]

Nice finds! Sorry I cant help with the ID...dont know enough about that age plant...Sporangia sounds like a possibility and that looks to be an example of a good sized plant which the state fossil is supposed to be. I dont know of any Devonian plant experts, so if noone else chimes in maybe the state geological survey might have someone on staff that could confirm the ID or refer you. Looking at that plate under a scope my provide some other hidden gems...

Just out of curiosity, what are the lighter colored shapes in the rock in the photo on the right...mineral grains???

Regards, Chris

[Rockwood]

Actually after giving this one a closer look I'm afraid it all might be mineral crystals. I suspect I may be guilty of something that I'm always railing against. Identifying it by what I expected to find there. What do you think ?

[FossilDAWG]

Hard to say from a photo, but I'm happy with macerated plant bits as an ID. Are the dark objects fairly thin films (consistent with pieces of leaves), or are they thick, which could indicate mineral?

Don

[abyssunder]

I think the rock could be somehow igneous. With a little speculation, looking at the pictures, especially at the branching character visible in the left picture (#5), considering that the state fossil of Main is Pertica quadrifaria, which grew in a brackish or freshwater marsh near an active volcano, I think is possible the specimen resemblance with Pertica. Can you take a close-up picture of the portion circled with red?

[Rockwood]

Here are a couple shots. Hope I hit the target.

[abyssunder]

Yes,I think could be Pertica quadrifaria. Here is a comparative picture:

Edited October 8, 2015 by abyssunder