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Sycamore (Platanus sp.)
Clarno Formation; Late Eocene Central Oregon ** The picture tells the story here -- an Oregon sycamore with a fabulous pattern that makes it a top candidate for addition to a connoisseur’s collection. The leaching pattern along some of the medullary rays brings into focus the cross grain pattern that can be instantly recognized as wood by even the most inexperienced novice, and we know that you are not that person! There are areas of very nice preservation of the original wood anatomy (please see our photomicrograph) as well as dots of the very beginning of fungal attack on this limb. If aesthetics are important to you for your collection, this is a piece you won't want to miss! And if gorgeous sycamores are your thing, then this is one you won't want to miss. Specimens like this don't come on the market often. 6.5” x 5” on polished face; end cut varies from 5/8” to 1" thick $185 |
Oldest known wood in fossil record (Callixylon trifilievii - Zalessky)
Syas Formation; Upper Devonian (Frasnian Stage - 372 - 382 MYA) Syas River, St. Petersburg region of Russia ** Callixylon is the form genus for the wood of the very first arborescent land plants. In other words - the very first tree known in the fossil record. There is very little structural preservation in this Russian material so cutting off an end and polishing it would not be productive. This is one of only a small number of localities worldwide where wood of this early tree can be found. 7/8" in diameter; 5" long limb section $60 |
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Beech (Fagus sp.)
Clarno Formation Eocene Central Oregon ** A very handsome slice of this species! Check out our photomicrograph to the right. Notice the difference in size between the medullary rays; some are thick and some are thin. This is one of the distinguishing features between Beech and Sycamore. Sycamore anatomy has great uniformity between all medullary rays - all are thin and same width. Beech has thick ones and thin ones in between the thick ones. Both of them have diffuse pores which are evenly distributed between the annual growth rings and both of them have similar pore diameters, so the medullary rays are one of the best clues that it is a Beech. And this one is indeed a beech. 5.75” x 4.75” on the polished face; 1/2" thick slab tapering to a thinner edge $115 |
Conifer (Pinales Order)
Absoraka Supergroup Eocene Tom Miner Basin, Montana ** We don’t see a lot of wood from Tom Miner Basin these days, so we acquire them whenever we see them. Only pieces from old collections (like this one) seem to come to market any longer. The Basin is quite high in elevation and it is a very difficult hike to get into the wood-bearing localities. Lower elevation specimens have largely disappeared except for those on a nature trail (and those are NOT available for collecting). We particularly like the great pattern, the vugs containing nice bubbly chalcedony, and the way this specimen sits on its natural end for effective display. And by the way, we've included a view of that natural, unpolished end cut side of this piece. We think it is every bit as beautiful as the polished side with the bubbly chalcedony seen in relief. Click the close-up views! 8” x 6” on polished face; end cut varies in thickness from .25" to 2.5" (no knife edge) $175 |
Tropical hardwood trunk section (Incertae sedis)
Tertiary Aceh Region, Sumatra Island, Indonesia ** Well, those of you that know us also know that we are not prone to superlatives, but this limb of "candle wood" is a king of aesthetics. It was imported several years ago and given a trade name of "Candle Wood" because of the beautiful sky blue, waxy luster, and sometimes bubbly chalcedony that has infiltrated and precipitated into the cracks in the wood creating a beautiful display specimen. While we don't normally like to use trade names given to specimens by enterprising dealers, so many collectors recognize the name candle wood that we too are using it. In fact, it is a quite-black, broadleaf evergreen tropical hardwood with gorgeous blue chalcedony. We have seen some of the wood cut and polished but have always thought that the all-natural specimens are the finest to appreciate. Thus, we have added only all natural specimens of this unique material to our own collection and suggest that you consider doing the same. 6" long trunk section; 2.25" diameter $195 |
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Brecciated petrified dicot wood (Incertae sedis)
Tertiary South Fork Crooked River, Oregon ** Well, we simply love all the wood -- including the weird and wild pieces. This one certainly qualifies as weird and wild. This log was definitely dead and down and being attacked by weather, fungus, and any other wood destroying process. We can determine that it was an angiosperm dicot - see our photomicrograph showing the little vessels. But, the preservation has been compromised and there is not enough of a large patch left to make any determination other than "not a conifer." Of course, the Latin Incertae sedis translates into "we simply cannot determine taxonomic affinity" (who knew that Latin could simplify things so well??) The odd thing about this specimen is that the path of destruction seemed to be somehow restricted to the medullary rays and it must have happened rather quickly since it spread all the way to the center before having an opportunity to move laterally away from the rays themselves. A really odd circumstance! The result is this brecciated effect which isolates individual strands of wood in between corridors now filled with chalcedony. The natural side of this end cut (photo top right) is pretty interesting as well. If you collect the weird and the wild specimens, as we do, this one will demand a place in your collection! 8" x 4.5" on polished face; end cut varies between .25" and 1.75" $180 |
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Conifer (Pinales Order)
Andesite and Basaltic overlapping flows Middle Miocene near Ironside, Oregon ** Once upon a time, we had some Black Locust slices from this locality and speculated that it might have been a single tree locality. Now we know that there were more since this is a conifer from the same place. Ironside is really just a wide spot in the road between Brogan and Cow Valley, Oregon. All of the collecting sites in this area were likely single trees in the alternating and overlapping flows of Andesite, Basalt, along with an occasional rhyolite towards the top of the strata column. It has not been named as a specific formation but it is identified as a separate lithologic unit on the USGS National Geologic Map Database. Charming small slab with nicely patterned rot pockets -- from an Interesting locality. Be sure to click for the close-up! 4.25" x 3" on polished face; 3/16" thick slab $46 |
