Description
Rare Sigillariostrobus Plant Fossil – Carboniferous Reproductive Cone
Offered here is a genuine and highly collectible Sigillariostrobus plant fossil, a rare fossil cone preserved from the famous Westphalian Coal Measures of the Carboniferous Period. This specimen represents an exceptional fragment of prehistoric plant life from one of the most important fossil coal swamp ecosystems ever known.
Collected from Houghton Colliery, Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, England, this fossil is a remarkable example of ancient plant reproduction preserved in stone for over 300 million years. The photographs show the exact specimen you will receive, carefully chosen for its rarity, preservation quality, and display appeal. Full sizing details are provided in the images.
This fossil includes a Certificate of Authenticity with lifetime guarantee, supplied as a generic authenticity card for permanent documentation.
Geological Context – Westphalian Coal Measures
This specimen originates from the Westphalian Stage of the late Carboniferous, approximately 310–315 million years old. During this time, Britain lay close to the equator and was dominated by vast tropical wetlands filled with dense forests of giant clubmosses, horsetails, and early seed plants.
The Coal Measures are sedimentary layers formed in swampy delta plains, flood basins, and river margins. Thick vegetation accumulated in waterlogged, oxygen-poor conditions, eventually transforming into the coal seams that became central to Britain’s industrial heritage.
Fine muds and silts rapidly buried plant material, allowing even delicate structures such as cones and reproductive organs to fossilise in extraordinary detail.
Fossil Type and Botanical Significance
Sigillariostrobus is the fossil reproductive cone associated with the great Carboniferous lycopsid trees, particularly those related to Sigillaria. These towering “scale trees” could reach over 30 metres in height and formed the backbone of the coal swamp forests.
Unlike modern flowering plants, Sigillaria and its relatives were spore-producing vascular plants, distantly related to today’s clubmosses. Sigillariostrobus cones played a crucial role in their life cycle, producing spores that spread through the humid swamp air.
Because reproductive cones are far less commonly preserved than leaves or stems, Sigillariostrobus fossils are considered especially rare and scientifically important.
Morphology and Preservation Features
This specimen displays the compact cone structure typical of Sigillariostrobus, often characterised by patterned surface textures where spore-bearing scales were once attached. The fossil has been naturally preserved within its original Coal Measures matrix, creating an authentic and striking display piece.
Such fossils provide a direct glimpse into the reproductive biology of Carboniferous rainforest plants, helping scientists understand the ecosystems that generated the world’s great coal deposits.
Locality – Houghton Colliery, County Durham, UK
Houghton Colliery is one of County Durham’s historic coal mining sites, renowned for producing classic British Carboniferous plant fossils. Specimens from this locality are increasingly difficult to obtain today due to limited access to original exposures, adding collectability and rarity to this piece.
Owning a fossil from this region connects directly to Britain’s deep geological past and its world-famous coal forest heritage.
Authenticity, Display and Collecting
This is a 100% genuine Sigillariostrobus fossil specimen, ideal for:
- Serious fossil and palaeobotany collectors
- Carboniferous coal forest enthusiasts
- Educational geology and natural history displays
- Unique and meaningful prehistoric gifts
A rare opportunity to acquire an authentic fossil cone from the ancient tropical coal swamps of Carboniferous Britain, preserved for over 300 million years and accompanied by a lifetime Certificate of Authenticity.
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