Sphenophyllum sp?

[flowntheloop]

Is this a whorl of a Sphenophyllum sp.? Northeast Alabama, US. Pottsville Formation.

[Rockwood]

It's really hard to tell, but I would expect it to be more likely that rootlets around a stigmaria would preserve this way. 

[Fossildude19]

Looks a bit more like a piece of Calamites, with a partial Annularia "flower"/ leaf whorl .

Preservation is not the greatest, unfortunately.

[Rockwood]

2 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Annularia "flower"

Flower ?

[Fossildude19]

48 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Flower ?

Some people call these leaf whorls flowers, (incorrectly, I might add.) due to the similar look. Hence the quotation marks. 

I added whorl. 

 

Not seeing any relation to Stigmaria here though. 
 

[flowntheloop]

Thank you all for your help and different perspectives! 

[Rockwood]

15 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Not seeing any relation to Stigmaria here though. 

This is precisely the orientation commonly seen in rootlets around a stigmaria. Since neither root nor stem is apparent and detail is not well preserved in the overall pattern, my assumption was based mostly on preservation potential. 

[Fossildude19]

16 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

This is precisely the orientation commonly seen in rootlets around a stigmaria. Since neither root nor stem is apparent and detail is not well preserved in the overall pattern, my assumption was based mostly on preservation potential. 

Any similar pictures for reference?

 

Just trying to see what you are seeing.

The ones in a Google Search for  Stigmaria with rootlets show nothing similar, in my opinion.

[Rockwood]

26 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Any similar pictures for reference?

No. I'm only imagining a sectional view of a distal (small) stigmaria with rootlets developed preferentially at the bottom. 

The texture seen below it does look like Calamites though. It could be an indication favoring Annularia. It could also just be a coincidence that it was in the soil.  

[Mark Kmiecik]

I'm looking at a Calamites stem preserved right below it and think Annularia stellata.