This is a beautiful polished and cut section of a fossil palm tree (_Palmoxylon sp._) of the _Aracacaea_ family.

Very impressively sized specimen - one foot in diameter!

It dates back to the Oligocene Epoch - 30 million years ago and is a great example of silicified wood. Note the rod-like sclerenchyma (the fibres that give structural strength to the trunk. It comes from an old collection and was originally found in western Louisiana, USA.

Dimensions: 12 inches in diameter, 2.9 inches in height - weighs 14 kilograms
VIew this page for more [interesting facts about petrified wood](http://www.fossilrealm.com/pages/learn-about-petrified-wood) and the fascinating processes that lead to their fossilization.