Anatomical descriptions of silicified woods from Madagascar and Indonesia by scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

Fine structure and tissue substitution by minerals were investigated in silicified woods from Madagascar and Indonesia by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. The silicified woods maintained the exterior morphology of once grown trees and showed typical inner structures of conifers. Radial planes of the silicified wood from Madagascar revealed tracheids as a major component of the axial system in the secondary xylem. Tracheids were mainly characterized by numerous bordered pits where a thickening in the middle (torus) was surrounded with the membrane (margo). The torus appeared to contrast with the fibrillar network of the margo. As a component of the axial system in the secondary phloem, sieve elements were found to have many sieve pores that were filled with seemingly crystalline materials. To correlate the colors of the silicified wood from Indonesia with elemental composition, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry was employed in this study. Silicon was present as a basic component of the silicified wood. Calcium and iron were detected from red-colored regions, whereas magnesium was found in blue-colored regions. These results suggest that tissues of silicified woods had been substituted by minerals over the past period, while retaining the inherent morphology of the tree species. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis could be applied to unravel structural details and composition of plant fossils in palaeobotany.