The Virtual Petrified Wood Museum.  Dedicated to the Exhibition and Educational Study of Permineralized Plant Material
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Tree Fern Aerial Root
A cross-section of this aerial root, found in the mantle of a tree fern, reveals the central, star-shaped xylem strand. As the aerial root developed, primary xylem grew from five different points. Metaxylem was then produced towards the center forming a star shape. Phloem tissue developed between the arms of the star. The aerial rootlet pictured above comes from a permian aged Brazilian tree fern (Titea singularis). The picture was taken at 40x. Below one can see the specimen from which the micrograph was taken.
Tree Fern
Titea singularis
Bieland, Maranhao Province, Brazil
Pedra de Fogo Formation
Permian

23 cm diameter

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