Names of Special Igneous Rock Textures

Volcanic Plutonic Other Microlitic Poikilitic Zoned Spherulitic Graphic Corona Vitrophyric Ophitic Kelphytic rim Intersertal Subophitic Rapakivi Intergranular Diabasic Epitaxial Felty Orthocumulate Poikilitic Pilotaxitic Mesocumulate Trachytic Adcumulate Subophitic Symplectic Ophitic Myrmekitic Dictytaxitic Seriate Glomeroporphyric Trachytoidal Pyroclastic Granophyric Seriate Spinifex Source: Raymond, L.A. , 1995, Petrology of Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic Rocks. Wm. C. Brown Publishers Company, page 24.

Volcanic
Spherules of tiny radiating crystals of iron oxide and feldspar, in
the groundmass of a spherulitic rhyolite

A vitrophyric rhyolite, with phenocrysts of quartz and plagioclase set in an isotropic glassy matrix

Interstitial texture in the groundmass of an andesite under plane

polarised light. Brown altered glass fills the spaces between subhedral crystals of plagioclase.

Interstitial texture in the groundmass of a basalt under crossed

polars. Unaltered glass, with a speckled extinction, fills the space ine centre of the image between grains of plagioclase and augite.

Intergranular texture in a basalt, with anhedral grains of

yellow augite filling spaces between subhedral crystals of plagioclase.

Trachytic texture in a trachyte, with strongly aligned crystals of

sanadine.

Seriate texture in a nosean leucitophyre; note the variation in

grain sizes.

Poikilitic (or ophitic) texture

In this photomicrograph, euhedral to subhedral biotite and plagioclase crystals are surrounded by optically-continuous, graycolored K-feldspar.

poikilitic phenocryst of titanaugite, containing inclusions of

ilmenite and plagioclase. Porphyritic trachybasalt, plane polarised light.

Myrmekitic intergrowth of quartz (light) and microcline (dark) in a quartz syenite.

Graphic intergrowth of quartz (light) and alkali feldspar (dark)

in a granophyre. Crossed polars.

A glomerophyric alkali basalt under crossed polars, with an aggregate of large grains of plagioclase and augite in a hypohyaline groundmass.