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Osmunda Stem
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| The central stele consists of pith, xylem and phloem. Surrounding the small stem is a thick mantle of persistent leaf bases and roots. When alive, the stem and mantle would have formed an inverted cone-shaped structure that was topped with a cluster of closely spaced fronds (Tidwell, 1998, p. 187). The specimen above is Jurassic aged Osmunda from Australia. |
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| Tidwell, W.D. (1998). Common Fossil Plants of Western North America. [2nd Ed]. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. |