Gypsum Rose — Lake MacLeod, WA

A gypsum rose from Lake MacLeod, the large salt lake north of Carnarvon in Western Australia. Gypsum roses, also called desert roses, are rosette-shaped clusters of bladed gypsum crystals that grow in salty sediment as groundwater evaporates, trapping sand grains as they form.

Gypsum is soft enough to scratch with a fingernail, so handle gently and keep it dry.

60 × 50 mm, 114 g