The vein copper deposits in Lanping-Simao basin of western Yunnan occur in a salt-bearing red clastic rock formation composed of sandstone, siltstone and shale. An excellent fossil wood cell texture is considerably developed in the ores. The metallic minerals making up the fossil wood cell texture include pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite. Studies on the samples and examination of their micrographs and electron micrographs have confirmed that they belong to xenoxylon, reflecting that the ore-hosting rock series is the product of sedimentation in the terrestrial environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]