Rock Identifier
Petrified Palm Wood (Palmoxylon (Silicified vascular plant tissue)) — fossil
fossil

Petrified Palm Wood

Palmoxylon (Silicified vascular plant tissue)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, earthy to dull luster, fibrous bundle texture, typically tan, brown, or grayish in color.

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Physical properties

Hardness 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, earthy to dull luster, fibrous bundle texture, typically tan, brown, or grayish in color.

Formation & geological history

Formed by permineralization when silica-rich groundwater replaced cellular structures of decaying prehistoric palm stems during the Cenozoic era.

Uses & applications

Popular among lapidary artists and collectors for cutting cabochons, polished slabs, and ornamental displays.

Geological facts

Petrified palm wood is the official state stone of Texas and state fossil of Louisiana, exhibiting distinct rod-like vascular bundles resembling individual fibers or straws.

Field identification & locations

Identified in the field by parallel fibrous vascular bundles and extreme hardness compared to modern weathered wood; common in sedimentary deposits across the U.S. Gulf Coast.

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