Photo Credit: brewbooks via Compfight cc
Last week I gave you a little greenery to lighten your frosty winter week. It was a cluster of flowers from an ancient plant. My challenge: what plant was it?
The answer: Lyonothamnus parvifolius, aka Ironwood. This specimen dates back to the Miocene and was found in Savage Canyon, Nevada. It no longer exists, but a modern plant from the same genus, Lyonothamnus floribundus (aka Catalina Ironwood, pictured above) can only be found out here in California.
So who won this week's Fossil Friday? No one! Only Dan Phelps hazarded a guess. I think we need more plant lovers in our group. Well, I've learned my lesson. Next week we'll return to the safe tibias and mandibles of old.
