Is it macro image?
Konrad

Good shot. I can see the roads. Where was it taken?

The picture can be deceiving. Notice, I said the words, "what appear to be..." in my first statement.

I did not use a zoom to take the picture, but...

Kt

I'm guessing oyster shell.

Eric

Not an oyster shell, but a good guess, although not any relation to what is in the photo.

Maybe this will help:

On my computer screen, the picture is about 3" X 7". At this size, the image on the photo, is about actual size, or how it would look in reality. I took the photo at a range of about one foot distance from the object.

Good Luck

Kt

Some kind of wind erosion rock?
Konrad

Can I play? ( I'm mostley a lurker). Does it have anything to do with ants?

Dead coral?

Iron oxide ?

Eric

Sorry,...but it's not a rock, not coral, not iron oxide, and nothing to do with ants. All, however, are again, good guesses.

Another Hint: I took this photo on my property, but it is not unique to my place. The object in the photo is ubiquitous to this whole area, state, and beyond.

Please try again.

Kt

IÂll venture a guess at clay.
Ian

Some kind of bark diseases??

Eric

Not clay, and not a disease, but as for bark...

One more hint: The picture is on it's side. I turned it to give the impression of a landscape.

Kt

The bark of Tulip Poplar or Kentucky Coffeetree??

Eric

My Wife says....some fungy growing on a tree?
Me....I'm hopelessly lost!
Konrad

It does look like a landscape shot, a pretty cool one at that! I'm guessing maybe the outer part of a ginger root?

Hello Kt,
Kt, are you home?
Earth calling Kt.
He's probably out sleeping behind the barn again!

Eric

Kt here!! Yes, found me a shady spot out behind the barn and caught me a few ZZZZ's.

Eric, you are on the right track with 'bark', but what kind of bark is the question. It is not a Tulip Poplar or Kentucky Coffeetree. So, since you guessed 'bark', you are correct. I'm not sure if anyone will guess the type of tree since it does not grow in the far north.

The raised 'mesas' on the bark, are part of the bark itself. In fact if you carve something in the bark, after a few years, it will become raised, just like the mini-mesas shown in the picture above.

Kt

Kt,

How about some type of oak? Bur Oak or Chinkapin Oak??

Eric

Here is a link that might be useful: Kentucky Trees

Kt,

I'm feeling dumb right about now!! You don't live in Kentucky, you live in Texas. Should have looked at your profile earlier.

Eric

How about...Treaty Oak?

Konrad

Dozens of types of oak trees grow down here, but this one is not an oak of any kind.

Treaty Oak?? You've done your homework. Actually a live oak poisoned in the late 1980's is now making a slow comeback, believed to be around 500 years old. Once a meeting place for Indian tribes, mainly Comanche and Tonkawa(of which I have some ancestry, so Eric, hence my name, "Kentuck").

I too have some live oak trees here that are well over 300 years old, and one that has a spread of over 130 feet, is around 55 feet tall and has a trunk almost 24 feet in circumference at chest level. Blah blah blah, yeah, I know...sorry, got carried away again. Back to 'THE' tree...no, it is not an oak.

Kt

Interesting!....well, just guessing again, is it Elm bark?
KT...do you know, why the treaty oak was poisoned?
Konrad

Not elm bark.

The treaty oak was poisoned by a vandal who was convicted and sentenced to only a few years in prison although he could have received life in prison. The story I recall is that he was married under the tree and his better half left him, so he took his anger out on the tree. Yep, that makes sense.

I'll try to find some info on it and post it later.

Kt

Found this on the net...

TREATY OAK RECENT HISTORY / POISONING - In recent years, the small one-quarter acre lot around the tree has been the site of weddings, school outings, picnics and is one stop on the Greyhound Bus Tour of Austin. In 1989, the tree was deliberately vandalized with massive amounts of poison. As the tree slipped into critical condition, a blank check was written by Texas industrialist Ross Perot and experts were summoned. As the world watched, intensive care was administered in a desperate battle to save the tree. On the national and international electronic news media, on the front pages of international newspapers and in news magazines across the globe, the world wondered and waited. The culprit was arrested, tried and convicted for his crime. While he could have received life in prison, the jury sentenced him to nine years. His reason? Unrequited love. The efforts to save the tree were successful and today about 35% of the tree remains. In 1997, the Treaty Oak produced its first crop of acorns since the poisoning. The acorns were collected and germinated. In 1999, all the Baby Treaty Oaks found homes in Texas and other states thus ensuring its continuing legacy.

Try the link below for more on the Treaty Oak.

Treaty Oak Info

Thanks for asking.

Kt

How about Hackberry or Sugarberry??

Eric

We Have A Winner!!!! Eric, You Are Correct!! Here, it is commonly called a Hackberry(Celtis laevigata), but is also known as a Sugarberry, Sugar Hackberry, Texas Sugarberry, Southern Hackberry, Lowland Hackberry, and Palo Blanco.

Thank You All For Playing, And For Your Patience.

Kt

Well with the Latin name, it was just a Google away.

Thank You
Eric