Show Us Your Fossil Flowers!

[palaeopix]

Well here's another flower I dug out of storage. This was purchased years ago from one of the old timers that used to collect in the Princeton area. It's not in the best shape but it's my first flower and a fairly large one at that!

Florissantia quilchenesis. The specimen is 37mm across.

As with all my previous flowers this is from the middle Eocene Allenby Formation.

[Wrangellian]

Nice specimens. Yes those elm seeds look familiar, we used to have such a tree and the seeds got everywhere when the wind blew. I didn't think my specimen looked quite like one, though, it looks like only 1/2 of one, or a petal of some sort.

[palaeopix]

Nice specimens. Yes those elm seeds look familiar, we used to have such a tree and the seeds got everywhere when the wind blew. I didn't think my specimen looked quite like one, though, it looks like only 1/2 of one, or a petal of some sort.

It's quite possible that your specimen is only one half. Many samara have two or three similar parts!

[barefootgirl]

Thanks for sharing those!

[Roz]

Wow, just fantastic flowers you all have found. I have never found one so have

nothing to add but I am sure enjoying the heck out of this thread!

[clemsonskulls]

Here is a pine cone from my Santana collection.

[bdevey]

Wow, never seen most of those before. Though not as nice, Here's a couple oligocene maple [acer] seed/flowers. I found them in sw oregon's western cascades. kids call them helicopters around here....and well I can't help myself, and toss one in the air once in awhile.

[Wrangellian]

Wow, never seen most of those before. Though not as nice, Here's a couple oligocene maple [acer] seed/flowers. I found them in sw oregon's western cascades. kids call them helicopters around here....and well I can't help myself, and toss one in the air once in awhile.

Those look smaller than helicopters.. could be cone seeds which operate by the same principle? I have similar fossils from McAbee site in BC.

[bdevey]

Those look smaller than helicopters.. could be cone seeds which operate by the same principle? I have similar fossils from McAbee site in BC.

That would be ok, what I realy like about it is the grouping. The lower one needs preped out of the matrix, the upper one is about 1 1/4 inch long. I guess that is smaller, than what I see today. I'll finish preping and study them do you have a referance or photo. Thanks

[Plantguy]

Hey Gang, what exquisite material! WOW! Unfortunately, I've never found any flowers nor have picked up any in trades/purchases...I guess I need to put them on my ever growing wish list--what's one more category/wish? Thanks for sharing--really enjoyed seeing the specimens! Regards, Chris

[palaeopix]

Well to continue on with the winged seeds etc... here are some specimens from the Allenby Formation.

From left to right: Acer sp. (21mm long), Pseudolarix sp. (25mm long), Pseudolarix sp. (22mm long) and Pinus sp. (13mm long).

and here's a weird spiny seed case called Palaeocarpinus stonebergae.

The seed minus the spines is 4mm long.

And now back to something somewhat flower-like. I suspect that this is called Macginicarpa sp. which is the inflorescence/infructescence of Macginitiea sp.

The inflorescence/infructescence is 13mm in diameter.

Edited January 24, 2011 by palaeopix

[piranha]

A winged fruit by any other name.

Acer sp. - Succor Creek Flora

Miocene - Malheur Co., Oregon

[Wrangellian]

Nice specimens as always, you guys. That Macginitea looks similar to my ?flower (from Nanaimo) in an earlier post above.. maybe, maybe not.

Maybe we need a separate Seed thread. I've got a few of those that I could photo, but then again you guys probably have enough good ones between you that I dont need to bother!

[palaeopix]

Nice specimens as always, you guys. That Macginitea looks similar to my ?flower (from Nanaimo) in an earlier post above.. maybe, maybe not.

Maybe we need a separate Seed thread. I've got a few of those that I could photo, but then again you guys probably have enough good ones between you that I dont need to bother!

That specimen from Nanaimo is interesting. It superficially resembles the Macginicarpa in my post, but it's difficult to say whether yours is also that genus or something related.

I don't think another thread is necessary as this thread is also dedicated to flower-like fruits after all! And a few cones here and there are not going to derail this thread!

Edited January 24, 2011 by palaeopix

[palaeopix]

Here is one I just found in my drawer that might be a flower or part of one.. I thought this was from Smithers BC but now I'm not so sure (I received a tray full of material that is on red/orange/tan/almost white pieces.. doesn't really look like the Smithers or Princeton stuff, nor Green River for that matter) Anyway, here it is. It's about 9mm at its widest, and hard to see/photograph.

I'm not sure how I missed this post but now that I've seen it I have a few observations.

I've by no means seen all the manifestations of the material present at Smithers and McAbee so I can't confirm whether this is or is not from either of those localities. However, I am somewhat familiar with the material around Princeton. Having said that, there is similar material found in the Princeton area near Whipsaw Creek which I have commented on in another thread (Spring is Here! Part2 - see entry #49).

This material varies from deep red through pink, orange and white/buff!

[oilshale]

All of them from the Pliocene of Willershausen:

Carpinus sp., Hornbeam

Upper Pliocene

Willershausen am Harz

Germany

Fraxinus excelsior ?

European Ash or Common Ash

Upper Pliocene

Willershausen am Harz

Germany

Acer sp. , maple keys

Pliocene

Willershausen a. Harz

Germany

[piranha]

Fabulous Thomas, your Pliocene fossils are quite extraordinary, Thank You!

[Wrangellian]

I'm not sure how I missed this post but now that I've seen it I have a few observations.

I've by no means seen all the manifestations of the material present at Smithers and McAbee so I can't confirm whether this is or is not from either of those localities. However, I am somewhat familiar with the material around Princeton. Having said that, there is similar material found in the Princeton area near Whipsaw Creek which I have commented on in another thread (Spring is Here! Part2 - see entry #49).

This material varies from deep red through pink, orange and white/buff!

OK, maybe I'll just take a pic of the drawerfull I have and see what you think. I'll post it in the ID section so others will see it too, tho I'm scared I'll just get a whole range of answers again! We'll see.

[palaeopix]

OK, maybe I'll just take a pic of the drawerfull I have and see what you think. I'll post it in the ID section so others will see it too, tho I'm scared I'll just get a whole range of answers again! We'll see.

We will do the best we can Eric. Like I've said before, a lot of the material hasn't been studied enough to have concrete IDs. It's a problem I run into a lot when I'm trying to ID my finds. Best thing to do is keep looking until you find it published somewhere, but even that doesn't always help matters!

Dan

[Wrangellian]

I don't care what they are in most cases, I believe it's more important to know where it's from, that's what I'm looking for, because unfortunately a lot of what I have acquired from others (as opposed to finding myself) came without location data. So my only possible hope of pinning down a locality is guys like you! I dont think this is something that I could ever find out thru research... I have some vague ideas from my previous experience but some of you know more than I do, especially if you have collected these sites.

I have yet to dowload and process the photo, maybe by this eve. sometime. Stay tuned!

[palaeopix]

I don't care what they are in most cases, I believe it's more important to know where it's from, that's what I'm looking for, because unfortunately a lot of what I have acquired from others (as opposed to finding myself) came without location data. So my only possible hope of pinning down a locality is guys like you! I dont think this is something that I could ever find out thru research... I have some vague ideas from my previous experience but some of you know more than I do, especially if you have collected these sites.

I have yet to dowload and process the photo, maybe by this eve. sometime. Stay tuned!

Like I said I will do my best! I'm looking forward to seeing the photo!

I'm working on installment three of my Allenby Formation thread and most of the leaves I will show have no IDs yet. It's frustrating to say the least!

Dan

[Wrangellian]

Like I said I will do my best! I'm looking forward to seeing the photo!

I'm working on installment three of my Allenby Formation thread and most of the leaves I will show have no IDs yet. It's frustrating to say the least!

Dan

Yes, it's like the Paleocollaborator site which has probably every leaf/etc found in McAbee but most of them have no names yet! Whoever studies them have their work cut out for them.. they'd better get busy! I'm looking forward to your Allenby thread.

Eric

[Wrangellian]

This one might belong more in the 'cone' thread but since we're showing maple keys and such, here is my humble example alongside a cone scale and seeds, from the McAbee site. (Been there just twice)

[palaeopix]

This one might belong more in the 'cone' thread but since we're showing maple keys and such, here is my humble example alongside a cone scale and seeds, from the McAbee site. (Been there just twice)

Wow,

that's a nice specimen Eric! Sure enough that is a cone scale and I see some pine needles in there too! I've only been to McAbee once but I got some pretty neat things (Ginkgo dissecta, lots of insect parts etc...).

Dan

Edited January 22, 2011 by palaeopix

[Wrangellian]

They're not as nice as the things you've been posting but I guess they're pretty good considering I've only been up there twice.. It's not hard to come down with a number of nice things after an afternoon collecting but they're mostly the common things.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Wrangellian