Petrified Palm Root Cross-Section Image
 

I tried posting a similar version of what follows below via Google Groups, but
it apparently failed to propagate. So, if the that original post finally makes
it through the cybermaze, please excuse the redundancy:

Just recently, I uploaded to
http://salinevalley.topcities.com/pa...otsection.html an image of a
natural cross-section of a petrified palm root from the late Miocene Dove
Spring Formation (roughly 10 million years old), California, a silicified
specimen that reveals excellent preservation of the epidermis, cortex and
vascular cylinder (stele). For perspective, the actual size of the specimen in
the image is 5mm in diameter.

The specimen in the image is a species of palm, called scientifically,
Palmoxylodon mohavensis--named by Irma E. Webber in 1933; Webber compared the
fossil palm roots with those produced by the living Washingtonia and made the
following observation: "Since the Pliocene palm root differs somewhat from that
of Washingtonia, and since it was associated with palm stems that differ
markedly from those of Washingtonia, it is referred to Palmoxylodon mohavensis,
the species of palm represented by wood in the deposits."

Not every piece of petrified palm root from the Dove Spring Formation fossil
locality revealed exquisite internal structure (the process of silicification
in many instances obliterated the finer details), but occasionally one came
across a natural cross-section that appeared almost lifelike in its
well-preserved fossil state. What's also interesting is that Webber, in her
scientific report regarding the Dove Spring petrified palm locality, mentioned
that fossil fungal fruiting bodies had been preserved in a number of petrified
palm roots.

(By the way, if you have trouble getting into the page, please try again later.
Sometimes I exceed my daily allotted bandwidth and my server simply shuts me
down for a short spell.)

Paleobotanical Field Trip To The Sailor Flat Hydraulic Gold Mine, California
http://esmeralda.topcities.com/sf/sailorflat.html