Definition of lithophysa

Lithophysa (plural lithophysae) is a hollow, bubble-like, or rose-like spherulite, usually with a radial and concentric structure, that occur in certain rhyolites, obsidians and related rocks (Holms, 1920).
Wikipedia (accessed 15 May, 2026) gives a more detailed explanation:
"A lithophysa (plural lithophysae, from Greek lithos "stone" + phusa "bubble")] is a felsic volcanic rock with a spherulitic structure and interior cavity with concentric chambers. Its outer shape is spherical or lenticular. They vary in size from very small up to twelve feet in diameter depending on the age of the magma chamber. These rocks are usually found within obsidian or rhyolite lava flows. Lavas low in feldspar minerals may produce a version known as snowflake obsidian.
These cavities are believed to be caused by expanding gases in tuffs and rhyolitic lavas before solidification. If the cavity becomes lined with crystals it may be referred to as a geode or if filled partially or fully with agate, jasper or opal it is called a thunder egg. The term vug is also used for similar cavities although the meaning of vug is usually restricted to cavities in rocks formed by the removal of material such as soluble minerals. These cavities usually contain layers of various colors (red, pink, gray, etc.) composed by crystals of quartz, chalcedony, hematite, fluorite and various colored oxides or other minerals."

The aforementioned spherulites are, petrologically speaking, high-temperature crystallisation domains forming due to rapid nucleation in glassy, silica-rich lavas, and are initially composed mostly of sanidine and cristobalite +/- tridymite.