Textural Terms in Igneous Petrology

Adcumulate - Cumulus crystals continue to grow

and displace the intercumulus liquid. Example:
Opx adcumulate texture with minor interstitial
chromite and plagioclase (Bushveld Complex)

Amygdaloidal texture Amygdule is the name

given to a formerly open vesicle that has been
filled with a secondary mineral(s) precipitated
from low-T ground waters which have penetrated
into the rock. In this case, the amygdule is
probably filled with a zeolite mineral.

Andehral - Irregularly shaped compact grains

not bounded by any characteristic crystal faces

Annealing texture in which many small grains

join to become larger grains in order to minimize
surface energy. Example: Annealing of small
chromite grains on the right to form large
masses of chromite on the left (Bushveld
Complex)

Aphanitic - Texture that consists of a mosaic of

crystals too small to be seen without
magnification. Can be either cryptocrystalline or
microcrystalline

Bimodal - Refers to two distinct populations

without intermediate members

Cryptocrystalline - Texture that consists of a

mosaic of minute crystals that cannot be
resolved with an optical microscope

Crystallinity - Proportion of crystals in a glassy

rock or in a magma

Crystallites - Minute crystals that do not react

visibly to polarised light under the microscope

Cumulate - Accumulation of crystals produced by

crystal-melt fractionation. Example: Cumulate
orthopyroxene in the Bushveld Complex

Dendritic - Crystal shapes resembling tree

branches. Example: Dentritic Olivines

Embayment A term used to describe a

particular crystal shape. Example: Embayment in
Olivine Phenocryst

Euhedral - Mineral grain completely bounded by

its own rational crystal faces, forming a tabular,
platy, columnar or other habit. Commonly but not
necessarily formed by unrestricted growth in a
liquid. Same as idiomorphic

Eutaxitic texture - Flattened, welded

vitroclasts defining a compaction foliation more
or less parallel to the depositional surface of the
pyroclastic-flow deposit in the fabric is found:
NOT a type of flow layering

Glassy - A texture consisting of some proportion

of glass. Example: Glassy unwelded rhyolitic tuff

Graphic - Magmatic texture that consists of an

intergrowth of alkali feldspar and quartz, the
latter in triangular and hooklike forms
resembling ancient writing. Can be coarse where

quartz grains are several millimeters or

microcrystalline, visible only with a microscope,
when it is called micrographic or granophyric

Holocrystalline - Texture made wholly of

crystals. Example: Holocrystalline granite

Hypocrytalline A term used to describe rocks

that contain both crystals and glass. Example:
Hypocrystalline pitchstone with perlitic cracks

Example: Hypocrystalline Basalt

Hypidiomorphic-granular - Magmatic phaneritic

texture that consists of a mixture of euhedral,
subhedral and anhedral grains

Microcrystalline - Texture that consists of a

mosaic of crystals that are only visible under a
microscope. Example: Microcrystalline Olivine
basalt

Myrmekite - In granitic rocks, microcrystalline

texture that consists of an intergrowth of
vermicular (wormy) quartz in a sodic plagioclase
host

Orthocumulate - Cumulus crystals are enclosed

in material that has crystallised from the
interstitial melt. Example: Opx + Chromite
orthocumulate with interstitial plagioclase
(Bushveld Complex)

Ophitic Magmatic texture in which larger

crystals called oikocrysts enclose smaller
randomly oriented crystals Example: euhedral to
subhedral biotite and plagioclase crystals are
surrounded by optically-continuous, gray-colored
K-feldspar.

Parallel Growth A term used to describe a

particular crystal growth orientation. Example:
Parallel growth in olivine (also some skeletal
material in the left)

Perthite - The light gray streaks in this

photomicrograph are plagioclase exsolution
lamellae in gray K-feldspar. Perthite forms as an
originally homogeneous feldspar exsolves two
feldspars as temperature falls below the
feldspar solvus during subsolidus cooling.

Phaneritic - Texture in which grains of major

rock forming minerals are all large enough to be
identifiable without magnification

Example 2: Phanerocrystalline granite with two

K-feldspars

Example 3: Phanerocrystalline granite with one

K-feldspar

Phenocryst - Larger crystal precipitated from a

melt embedded in a finer grained or glassy
matrix

Poikilitic - Magmatic texture in which larger

crystals called oikocrysts enclose smaller
randomly oriented crystals

Porphyritic - Inequigranular magmatic texture

made up to two grain sizes, larger crystals
commonly euhedral called phenocrysts embedded
in a finer-grained or glassy matrix. Example:

Porphyritic Andesite

Seriate - Phaneritic inequigranular magmatic

texture in which grains range more or less
continuously in size. Contrast with bimodal.
Example: Seriate textured olivine basalt under
plane light

Seriate Example 2: Seriate textured olivine

basalt under crossed polarized light

Skeletal Crystal shape. Example: olivines in

picritic basalt

Skeletal Example 2: Skeletal crystal shape

developed in olivine

Subhedral Poor crystal shape development

although crystal shape still apparent. Example:
Subhedral olivine in picritic basalt

Vesicular A term given to a rock that contains

lots of vesicles. Example: Scoriaceous basalt
containing black, ovals features that are vesicles.

Note the acicular, white plagioclase laths

throughout and the euhedral, white olivine
phenocryst at the lower right.

Vitrophyre - Texture in which large crystals

(phenocrysts) lie in a glassy matrix. Example:
Vitrophyric basalt with plagioclase, augite and
magnetite

Vitrophyre Example 2 phenocryst-bearing

obsidian. The phenocrysts in the above
photomicrograph are mostly plagioclase. The
groundmass is obsidian glass