Unusual inclusion in an Australian boulder opal

[Vopros]

This opal has a lot of vegetation inclusions. A few microscopic images are attached. In addition, there is a kind of strange inclusion that is hard to ID

 (The last image)

 

I sent the images to Dr. Steve McLoughlin of Swedish Museum of Natural History. Dr. McLoughlin is very familiar with Mesozoic flora of Queensland and I'm interested to hear his opinion on this. Bellow is Dr. McLoughlin‘s response: “I am not sure what to make of the structures in the image you sent today, especially in the absence of a scale bar to assess their size. They are long and gradually broadening like tiny conifer leaves, but they have truncate apices that look more like crystal growths. Many appear to be scattered and even the one at the bottom doesn’t show clear attachments. They don’t look like tracheids to me – too variable in size. It is curious that they occur inside some sort of pellet. Could it be a coprolite or could it be a soil ped? Just can’t identify this one.”

I wish it were an opal coprolite!

Here is a video:

 

 

[Pixpaleosky]

It looks like mineral patterns, not fossils in my opinion. 

[Vopros]

3 minutes ago, Pixpaleosky said:

It looks like mineral patterns, not fossils in my opinion. 

Thank you! It could be some crystals, of course,  but I believe it is rather unlikely. There is no doubt that this opal contains quite a few  fossil vegetations.  It will be rather strange to have minerals and fossil vegetation  in the same small piece of opal. Besides,  as Dr. Steve McLoughlin noted these whatever they are located “inside some sort of pellet”.

[Ludwigia]

If an expert like Dr. McLoughlin can't pin it down, then I think you're out of luck.