Devonian Plants of
the Rhynie Chert
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The Rhynie Chert of Scotland is a Lower Devonian deposit unique in the
world. The deposit preserves one of the worlds earliest terrestrial faunas
that once thrived around a hot springs environment. Waters from the hot
springs periodically inundated the land, swamping the plants. The silica
rich waters rapidly penetrated the plants, preserving them in exceptional
detail. The silica formed chert and this has preserved fully 3 dimensional
plants showing every detail, even right down to fungi that lived
within the
cells of the plants!

All of the specimens listed on this page are sections of chert mounted on
petrographic slides and ground thin enough that light may pass through
them. Each section typically measures ~1 inch in width. Using a
microscope the details of the plants can then be seen and studied. The
fauna includes plants, spores, fungi, arthropods and more. This really is
a unique and fascinating fauna.
Discounts are available on larger orders.
Alternatively make us an offer on any items that you see.
All thumbnails provide links to larger image files (up to 200 kb) so that the details of each
slide can be seen. Please feel free to download the images for your reference. Many are of
a large enough size that they can printed as photographs if so desired.

The species we list for each slide are not always the only ones in the slides. Careful
examination may reveal more, especially when one starts looking for the tiny spores, fungi
and fragments of arthropods. You have to look long and hard as there is so much preserved
in the chert that you just don't know what you might find!
Rhynie Chert Slide #1
Aglaophyton major (plant), Palaeomyces gordoni (fungal cyst) and fungal
hypha in cortex of plant.                                                                        $35
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Palaeomyces gordoni
fungal cyst
Rhynie Chert Slide #2
Aglaophyton major cross sections, fungal hypha in plant cortex            $35
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Fungal hypha in plant
cortex
Rhynie Chert Slide #3
Aglaophyton major cross sections, fungal hypha in plant cortex.
Possible arthropod leg fragments                                                          $30
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Possible segmented
arthropod leg
Rhynie Chert Slide #4
Aglaophyton major cross sections, fungal hypha in plant cortex.
Palaeomyces gordoni fungal cysts.                                                        $35
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Palaeomyces gordoni
fungal cyst
Rhynie Chert Slide #5
Aglaophyton major branching section. Spores and fungal hypha.        $20
Aglaophyton major
Complete thin section
Rhynie Chert Slide #7
Rhynia gwynne-vaughnii cross sections               $20
Rhynie Chert Slide #8
Arthropod coprolite, Aglaophyton major, Palaeomyces gordoni fungal cysts, and
Palaeomyces asteroxyli fungal cysts.                                                                  $35
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Palaeomyces asteroxyli
fungal cysts
Arthropod coprolite
(digested spores)
Rhynie Chert Slide #9
Arthropod coprolite, Aglaophyton major, Palaeomyces gordoni
fungal cysts, and fungal hypha in plant cortex                          $35
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Rhynie Chert Slide #10
Aglaophyton major, Palaeomyces gordoni fungal cysts with spores. Fungal hypha
in plant cortex. Possible infilled burrow (left side of main slide - see below)        $35
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Palaeomyces gordoni
fungal cyst with spores
Rhynie Chert Slide #11
Aglaophyton major cross section, Palaeomyces gordoni fungal cysts. Arthropod
coprolite made up of digested spores.                                                              $30
Complete thin section
Aglaophyton major
cross section
Arthropod coprolite
Rhynie Chert Slide #12
Large Aglaophyton major long section with Palaeomyces gordoni fungal
cysts in cortex. Some of the fungal cysts bear spores.                    $35
Rhynie Chert Thin Sections Page 2... This Way
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Rhynie Chert Thin Sections Page 4... This Way
Rhynie Chert Thin Sections Page 3... This Way
Buy any 5 Rhynie Chert slides and get the cheapest
one free!