Araucarioxylon arizonicum Petrified Wood

Name: Araucarioxylon arizonicum

Division: Pinophyta (conifers); Class: Pinopsida; Order: Pinales; Family: Araucariaceae
Geological Time: Late Triassic, Norian-Carnian Stage
Size: 87 mm long by 50 mm wide by 24 mm thick; weight 128 grams
Fossil Site: Winslow, Arizona

Description: This is a specimen of highly-colored petrified wood from the Chinle

Formation (Norian-Carnian Stage, ~225 million year old) deposits of Winslow, Arizona
comes with a story. The rich green color is the result of ~2% Chromium content. While
the many types of petrified wood come in a panoply of colors, only a very few types
are green; the only other is found in Africa. This material comes from a small deposit
near Winslow, and is not known from any other location. Araucarioxylon arizonicum is
the state fossil of Arizona, and is the taxon comprising some 90% of all specimens
found in the Petrified Forest National Monument. It was a coniferous tree standing
some 150-200 feet tall, and some 6-8 feet in diameter. Its closest relatives today are
the Monkey Puzzle Tree of South America and the Norfolk Island Pine. The rich green
color is quite evident in this piece with flattened ends that would be suitable for
polishing.
Araucarioxylon arizonicum is the state fossil of Arizona.

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