Massive Crock Hey Fossil Calamites Stem Section

Description: This fine specimen is a member of the genus Calamites , a member of the Calamitales which belong to the Sphenophytes. Whorls of small leaflets are arranged concentrically around a thin stem and are called Annularia (see my other offerings) or Asterophyllites. Calamites itself is the name originally given to a stem section, but now applies to the entire plant. These were indicative of humid to wet habitats such as along rivers and lake shores. This one is quite 3-D in preservation, and is what is called a pith cast, consisting of the longitudinal ribbed and grooved compressions of the plant. The only living example of the sphenophytes is the horsetail Equisetum. This is a most unusual specimen still contained within this huge nodule.