sedimentary
Lepidodendron fossil (Scale Tree Bark)
Lepidodendron (Lycophytina class)
Hardness: 2.5-3.5 typically (as part of shale or siltstone matrix); Color: Dark grey to charcoal black; Luster: Dull to slightly carbonaceous; Structure: Diamond-shaped or scale-like leaf scars arranged in a spiral pattern. Cleavage: None (fractures along bedding planes).
- Hardness
- 2
- Color
- Dark grey to charcoal black
- Luster
- Dull to slightly carbonaceous
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Physical properties
Hardness: 2.5-3.5 typically (as part of shale or siltstone matrix); Color: Dark grey to charcoal black; Luster: Dull to slightly carbonaceous; Structure: Diamond-shaped or scale-like leaf scars arranged in a spiral pattern. Cleavage: None (fractures along bedding planes).
Formation & geological history
Formed during the Carboniferous period (approx. 300-360 million years ago). These are remains of giant club moss trees that grew in swampy, humid forests. When the trees died, they were buried in sediment, and the bark pattern was preserved through carbonization or mineral replacement.
Uses & applications
Primarily used as educational and collector specimens. Historically, the biomass of these trees is the primary component of major coal deposits used for fuel.
Geological facts
Lepidodendron trees could grow up to 100 feet tall. The name comes from the Greek 'lepido' (scale) and 'dendron' (tree). Early explorers often mistook these fossils for the petrified skin of giant snakes or dragons due to the scale-like pattern.
Field identification & locations
Identify by the distinct, repeating diamond pattern of leaf scars. Commonly found in coal-bearing regions like the Appalachian Mountains (USA), UK, and parts of Europe. Collectors should look in shale tailings near coal mines or riverbeds in Carboniferous basins.
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