SiS: Strange Fossil Mystery - Petrified Wood Slab? FERN? or maybe a RHIZOME??

Description

It's no secret that some of the best petrified petrified wood in the world is found here in the Pacific Northwest, and no place are the fossils more diverse than those found in Oregon.  This slab was cut from a small nodule that I obtained in an estate sale years ago.  I've studied it off and on for years but am no closer to identifying what it is than when I started.  The structure appears to be fern-like in some respects, but reminiscent of some rhizome fossils I've seen as well.  It's not exactly like anything I've cut and polished before and I'd love for the new owner to let me know what they discover if they have more success in pinning it down.  The structure is segmented as shown in the microphoto in some regions but appears to be more cross section like of a clumb of dense reeds in others.  There are a couple of places with petiole like vertical tubes and a decidedly larger structure in one spot but it will take more expertise than I have to unravel the mystery contained within this now beautifully polished gemstone!   It's all very nicely agatized and well preserved, and I can make out definite plant cellular structure in a few places.  It's not a huge specimen but it is packed with fascination, beauty and mystery!  The random, non-ring direction of the structure makes it look like a bundle of something and some of what you see under magnification could almost pass for petioles.  Regardless of it's story, it's an attractive specimen that will provide hours of fascination for it's new owner.  I cannot say where it was found other than it was a pacific northwest rockhound that had it in his rock pile and most of what he collected was from Oregon.  The stone took a very nice polish to show it off properly and maximizing detail under magnification.    A truly unique and fascinating fossil, ready to be shown in your collection.  Good luck!
If you haven't seen our petrified wood specimens before then you've been missing one of the best treasures found on eBay! We work hard to find the best specimens from the most prized locations and then work with our magic to create a world class specimen for your collection. The piece is quite solid and meant to be handled. A quick squirt of windex will remove fingerprints from the glassy polished surface.
It measures about 3 5/8" x 2 7/8" wide and is sliced about 1/3" thick. Weight is about 0.24 lbs.
Sticks-in-Stones Lapidary
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