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Plant trunk cortex for ID


abyssunder

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I want to submit for identification the specimen below. It came from the Carboniferous of Leon, Spain, labeled as tree trunk cortex. There are no other informations available.
Any thought of what might be exactly, or a more precise ID will be welcomed.
Thank you.

 

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" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

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Hi, would it be possible to have an end of shot of photo 3? The end furthest from your hand? If it appears rippled from that end coincident with the long 'ridges' or furrows in photos 3&4 it might be Sigillaria.

 

Photos 1-2 may represent the periderm or depending on the level of decortication a deeper level it could be xylem.

 

I can't tell from the quality of the photos, but are there small pieces of quartz rock embedded in it?

 

Just some ideas for you to research.

 

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I am still learning myself and not sure if this will help, but here are several specimens. Both yours and mine are heavily decorticated. The specimens I am showing permineralized much differently than yours. Very high iron content.

 

A small piece 30mmx50mm

image.png.ee755d0d6e496f91caa15663afb7cf2c.png

 

The end view of the piece above showing ripples on top

image.png.3f559ef7e31175ab40fd7f2643289acd.png

 

Larger piece 130mm at widest, 75mm at narrowest, about 70mm tallest. Note ridges/ripples vertically.

image.png.d04dc29d636031bd12c55864a99d8594.png

 

The piece below is broken off from lower on the plant showing larger ripples

 

125m widest x 65mm

 

image.thumb.png.b7967e067a33b5b36f2bd8575118400e.png

 

 

 

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Sigillaria cortex sounds right for the last set of photos.

The other side could well be the branches of calamites. The transverse linear elements representing nodes in some of the larger sections of branch in a pile.

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7 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Sigillaria cortex sounds right for the last set of photos.

The other side could well be the branches of calamites. The transverse linear elements representing nodes in some of the larger sections of branch in a pile.

'The transverse linear elements representing nodes in some of the larger sections of branch in a pile.'

 

They do and that was throwing me, especially as they are noded above one another. Makes one imagine the environment where the plant debris piled and was covered by various sizes of sand or quartz stones....Seems they are virtually aligned giving pause to wonder what event caused the debris to fall in the same direction. Flood? Strong winds?

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8 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Making piles of branches is a big part of how I earn a living. ;)

I am not sure exactly what that means...but before moving here to 'warm' southern New Mexico I lived up north and ran a Stihl chainsaw 3-4 months of the year cutting firewood. 

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3 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Sigillaria cortex sounds right for the last set of photos.

The other side could well be the branches of calamites. The transverse linear elements representing nodes in some of the larger sections of branch in a pile.

Just to keep the option open, those nodes on the back side could be leaf traces in the periderm. In theory, one would find a leaf scar on the opposite of the leaf trace 'node' of the specimen.

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1 hour ago, Kato said:

I am not sure exactly what that means...

In the neighborhood of 20 acres of manicured forest, 8 miles of roadside, and my own firewood. Many piles of branches.

Could be a source of bias toward the branch concept ? 

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Based on the potential for those being leaf traces on the back and the distance/pattern they appear to be spaced, the best I could find remotely approaching a similar pattern based on leaf scars is 

 

Sigillaria Principis

 

Sigillaria principis

 

Hopefully more of the experienced plant folks will post.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

In the neighborhood of 20 acres of manicured forest, 8 miles of roadside, and my own firewood. Many piles of branches.

Could be a source of bias toward the branch concept ? 

That's a lot to maintain. I was good for 4-5 cords of personal use and helping a friend get his cordage in. Loved it when the beavers created standing deadwood. Premium heating wood.

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Kato, Dale, thank you for your replies and your expertise. :)

There are probably quartz and mica grains embedded in the specimen. It has a greyish-tan color, and there are ripples on one side.

Here are more photos from different angles, including end views.

 

IMG_20190308_121810.thumb.jpg.03a9443ef9a6de87d03e649901e791df.jpgIMG_20190308_121902.thumb.jpg.89c3f4733726b9810c4b461c1e14375e.jpgIMG_20190308_122323.thumb.jpg.8d3659d1c63372741661f34b9d9892c1.jpgIMG_20190308_122535.thumb.jpg.a07a90a175a5f413cec73a898346072e.jpgIMG_20190308_122607.thumb.jpg.b49011fb2108dbe8ca5c670adc72abfb.jpgIMG_20190308_122646.thumb.jpg.6905a6d98def4f7ed525accb3b3014e2.jpgIMG_20190308_122633.thumb.jpg.73b55caf1cf694e2fa2141b8e8ac454a.jpg

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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Great photos and lovely ripples! I one day hope to find a specimen intact that size. 

 

With this view it appears that the portion closest to the viewer is a Cordaite leaf with a quartz sand fill between it and the Sigillaria.

 

Oops, I was not awake and meant the area closest to the viewer is possibly a Cordaite leaf. Apologies for the confusion and/or different pics which may or may not appear. I tried to delete the one with the reference to Calamite.

IMG_20190308_122607.thumb.jpg.b49011fb2108dbe8ca5c670adc72abfb.jpg

 

image.png.d0f917f98c47893e995e7e6829f3d165.png

 

Please ignore the edited photo below. Operator error on my part.

image.png

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Neat acquisition Lori! Those decorticated coarsely preserved fragments are tough and not really my forte. Does look like Sigillaria leaf scars--good eyes Kato. The first photos remind me a bit of Asolanus camptotaenia....lots of variety and its pretty rare.   Not entirely sure...there are some good photos over in Bruno's threads....scroll thru them all and you'll see some similarities..

http://forums-naturalistes.forums-actifs.com/t3382-asolanus-wood-1860

 

Regards, Chris 

 

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2 hours ago, Plantguy said:

Neat acquisition Lori! Those decorticated coarsely preserved fragments are tough and not really my forte. Does look like Sigillaria leaf scars--good eyes Kato. The first photos remind me a bit of Asolanus camptotaenia....lots of variety and its pretty rare.   Not entirely sure...there are some good photos over in Bruno's threads....scroll thru them all and you'll see some similarities..

http://forums-naturalistes.forums-actifs.com/t3382-asolanus-wood-1860

 

Regards, Chris 

 

Chris, thank you for looking! :)
I wasn't sure of anything regarding to the specimen in question, that was the reason why I asked for help.
Thank you for the link. My early research, started from Sigillaria, conduced me to Asolanus, also I've seen for few minutes Bruno's thread. Good one with nice specimens! Some of them look quite close to what I have.

Thank you for your great idea, Chris.

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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7 hours ago, abyssunder said:

Chris, thank you for looking! :)
I wasn't sure of anything regarding to the specimen in question, that was the reason why I asked for help.
Thank you for the link. My early research, started from Sigillaria, conduced me to Asolanus, also I've seen for few minutes Bruno's thread. Good one with nice specimens! Some of them look quite close to what I have.

Thank you for your great idea, Chris.

What's interesting about Asolanus and I havent looked around too much for some newer info to confirm is that they hadnt reconstructed the entire plant and were working with bark fragments. Maybe Jack can confirm if its indeed that rarity or some other unique decorticated fragment and give you the latest. 

@fiddlehead

Regards, Chris 

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I'm pretty sure Jack could share some information from his vast knowledge in the plant domain. Thank you, Chris! :)

 

Another possibility that crossed my mind regarding to my specimen, is something close to Sigillaria polleriana, but I'm unsure of the possible resemblance, so I just put it here as a variant which could be ruled out easily by someone more familiar than me in this domain.

 

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pictures from here

 

Another good database I've found is Roman's blogspot .

 

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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