The Plant Opal Content in the Vegetation and Sediment of a Swamp at Oxford Falls, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Opal phytoliths in the leaves of 10 native species growing in and around a swamp were isolated and quantified, and shape and surface detail examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The amount of plant opal in the leaves ranged from 0.10 to 2.45% by dry weight, and phytolith forms most commonly found were spheres, rods and sheets. Phytoliths in the silt size range of the swamp sediment were isolated by a simple fractionation technique. It was found that the forms with a small surface area to volume ratio survived in the sediment.