Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 31, 2008 10:42:39 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Well, in my unpacking, I got into a carton of palm. I love this stuff and may have posted pics of it before but here is some palm Friday eye candy. Thanks for looking.....Mel First, my cabbing favorite, the so called Edison Palm Root. When they built Bakersfield College near Edison, CA, some lucky old timers were able to carry off truckloads of huge hunks of this material. Getting uncommon now days and I pick up an occasional hunk at a rockhound garage sale. Guess it's more opalized than agatized but takes a fine polish and is nice stuff. The rest of these are all material I got in trade, found or bought at Quartzite. All East Texas-Louisana palm fiber. Some is agate, some more opal. All take a fine polish. Some is very red but mainly on the outside. Inside is more pink. The big one is a pointy hunk off a small palm log and the second pic shows the real red zones on the exterior.
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firewalker45
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since August 2006
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Post by firewalker45 on Oct 31, 2008 11:54:29 GMT -5
Very nice collection. That Edison Palm Root is out of this world! Daniel
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on Oct 31, 2008 14:31:17 GMT -5
That first one is GORGEOUS! It hypnotized me like Kaa ! Adrian
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Post by texaswoodie on Oct 31, 2008 19:44:47 GMT -5
Wow Mel! That first one is the weirdest looking Palm I've ever seen. Do I have anything you want to trade a little piece for? That colored Palm is fantastic! The next to the last looks as red as the one I posted in the cab section. Hang on to that stuff. Not much if any being found now. Curt
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 31, 2008 20:02:55 GMT -5
Curt, I only have that one faced specimen and a couple of slabs around somewhere. I may have a hunk of rough still in storage ( pretty sure I brought it). If I get some extra to trade, I'll sure keep you in mind. Reason it looks so different is most the fiber part of the palm in California was destroyed by above ground activity like volcanic ash flows and such. What you're looking at is a cut through the root ball showing all the transected roots. In California, fiber is pretty rare. We mainly find root or the area where fiber turns into roots....Mel
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Oct 31, 2008 20:36:52 GMT -5
Very nice Mel. I've never seen anything quite like that 1st one. It looks like fossilized Fish Eggs. Anyone checking Curts heartbeat??? I'll bet it skipped a beat or two after looking at this post;. Steve
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Post by deb193redux on Nov 1, 2008 14:16:40 GMT -5
nice. did you ever decide if that piece i traded was palm?
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Post by sitnwrap on Nov 1, 2008 14:48:14 GMT -5
The pattern in the first pic and the colors in the rest a beautiful. Are the dots and circles part of the cell structure or is it just the pattern of the plant?
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 1, 2008 16:07:48 GMT -5
sitnwrap : The first pic has transected roots which are fully replaced clear down to the vascular bundles. The above ground portion of a palm trunk is sort of a bundle of fibers which gives hunks of fossilized trunk that dotted appearance. Each dot is a cut across fiber and when cut lengthwise you get those streaky effects.
Daniel: I've got to admit those slabs you sent me are still total stumpers. I've been through every book and article I have and have not found any wood that looks even close to those weird and beautiful cuts. My best guess is the specimen was a total agate replacement of wood which has, in addition to the cell structure of the wood, a plume agate filling. I'm still working on it when I have time but dang that was one unusual and mystifying piece...Mel
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DeanW
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2007
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Post by DeanW on Nov 1, 2008 21:53:49 GMT -5
Palm is soooo cool; I really really wanna find some myself sometime.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 1, 2008 23:34:43 GMT -5
Dean, Still not uncommon to find good palm root, palm bog and a little fiber around the green ash hills by Yermo, Calif and at several other areas on the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. Toughest part is getting the eye so you can spot the good ones. That can be tough and you'll need to do a lot of chipping of very plain looking agate to find the good ones.....Mel
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Post by stonesthatrock on Nov 2, 2008 9:30:03 GMT -5
wow mel those are really nice looking.
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Post by beefjello on Nov 2, 2008 19:58:21 GMT -5
Oh man Mel that palm root is mesmerizing! The rest is just fantastic too. I love palm!! ;D
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DeanW
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2007
Posts: 721
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Post by DeanW on Nov 2, 2008 23:31:08 GMT -5
Mel thanks for the tips on Palm locations.
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Post by Tonyterner on Nov 3, 2008 9:36:21 GMT -5
Very cool palm. I just bought a similar slab of palm root. I'll have to post a pic when I get it.
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