A fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, intermediate between slate and schist in degree of metamorphism.
‘It is composed of gneiss and migmatite that contain minor lenses of schist, marble, phyllite and quartzite.’
‘Foliated rocks may be slate, phyllite, or schist according to grain size.’
‘Clasts in this facies are commonly arranged into stripes of a single lithology (typically phyllite, schist, quartzite or marble) and show peaks in the angular and very angular classes.’
‘The sequence comprises Lower Ordovician conglomerates and carbonates overlain by Upper Ordovician to Middle Devonian limestone with occasional phyllite and quartzite.’
‘It is underlain by schist, phyllite, and quartzite, although outcrops of serpentine are common in the area.’
Origin
Late 19th century from Greek phullon ‘leaf’+ -ite.
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