Palm Wood

Fossil palm wood is from the genus Palmoxylon. It is found world wide, with the oldest fossil record in the Cretaceous of South America. It is found as far north as Wyoming, during the Eocene, when a large lake covered much of Wyoming. This famous “fossil lake” contains amazingly well preserved fish, insects and plants. The presence of the palm indicates that the region was fairly tropical during this time. It is the state “stone” of Texas, the state gem of Washington and the state fossil of North Dakota.

The palm wood has long rod-like structures that help support the plant, which gave the plant its vertical strength. The wood has been replaced by silica, making it a hard stone that takes a nice polish. Depending on the angle of the cut, the rod-like structures will show up as elongate lineations in the wood or a polka-dot pattern.

If you like this material, you may also like bog agate or rainforest jasper

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