Polished Fossilized Tree Fern Trunk Section

Description: Polished sections of tree fern trunk from the Lune River of Tasmania are highly prized for their beauty. While some believe they are Tertiary in age, a basalt flow in the region overlies the strata in which they are found is thought to be Jurassic in age. Tree ferns have been around since the Permian, and persist to this day, earning them the term “living fossil”. The “trunk” is composed of many vascular elements that supply the plant with water and nourishment, making for a most pleasing overall effect. The polished side is quite dramatic, as seen here.