Snakewood

[TroyB]

Hi all, here is a piece of snakewood (Menningoxylon) I found in a river, from the Whitsett Formation-Oligocene exposed, aprox. 34-35 million years old. It is completely opalized.

 

Order: Caryophyllales

• Genus: Mennegoxylon

• (unranked): Angiosperms
• Kingdom: Plantae

 

For your viewing pleasure.

[Tidgy's Dad]

A beautiful piece! 

Thanks for sharing. 

[Innocentx]

This is very cool but I have no idea what snakewood is. Please enlighten, thanks.

[TroyB]

It is a very rare species of tree from the Oligocene, called (Menningoxylon), similar to palm wood but so much more rare. The internal cell structure resembles a snakeskin in appearance, thus the name snakewood.

 

[Darktooth]

Very beautiful and very cool! Thanks for sharing this with us!

[Darktooth]

Invertabrate/ plant FOTM? You would get my vote!

[goatinformationist]

Palm certainly but even more rare?  That's what I like to see.  Thanks so much for the peek.

By the way whose face is that in the first photo on the very bottom center of the stone (inside of the cleft)?

[TroyB]

hehe, does doesn't it.

 

[Phevo]

That is a gorgeous piece of wood, thanks for sharing

[Jaimin013]

That is very very cool! Great find and thank you for sharing with us!

[Innocentx]

Since I'm unfamiliar with this I appreciate your explanation, and congrats on the rare find! It's quite interesting.

[TroyB]

Thanks all.

[ynot]

Neat petrified wood, thanks for the enlightenment. 

[-Andy-]

It's fully opalized? Incredible. Reminds me of a honeycomb.

[TroyB]

Seems to be completely opalized. Really cool.