This is the “Fossil Friday” post #312. Expect this to be a regular feature of the website. We will post fossil pictures you send in to esconi.info@gmail.com. Please include a short description or story. Check the #FossilFriday Bluesky/Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!

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At first glance, today’s fossil might look like a cone. But, closer examination reveals it to be a nice specimen of Sublepidophloios protuberans with a spray of Cyperites bicarinatus at the top. Sublepidophloios protuberans is a species of lycopsid branch (see Mazon Monday #316) and Cyperites bicarinatus was the sterile leaves for the Lycopsida (see Mazon Monday #69). Lycopsids were giant club mosses that existed during the Carboniferous Period. Lycopsids are still around, just not the giants.

Both of these species of plant are commonly found in the Mazon Creek terrestrial deposits. However, it is somewhat rare to find them in association.

This specimen was collected by Dave or Sheila Bergmann in the 1990s from the fossil localities in Morris.