Carboniferous Plant Fossil From Colorado

Description

Just outside of Delta, Colorado is 25 Mesa, so called because it is 25 miles from the Colorado-Utah border. Atop this mesa I found a large group of fossilized plant stems. These appear to be a form of Calamite, a Carboniferous (the era that brought us coal) plant. These were swamp plants that could reach up to 180 ft. high.
Generally speaking, I carry a 5 gallon bucket when I go rockhounding. Everything is tossed in the bucket and sorted later. I was able to piece these three chunks together. I glued them using Elmer's glue, so they can be disassembled without damaging the pieces. This specimen has a diameter of 2.75 inches and a height of 2.25 inches, weighing 12.8 ounces.
10-1