"Murchisonite", a synonym of orthoclase was first described from the Triassic conglomerate at Heavitree near Exeter by A Levy in 1827. It was named in honour of Sir R. I. Murchison.

Outlines of mineralogy, geology, and mineral analysis, Volume 1 1836 notes that: "This mineral was discovered by Mr. Levy, interspersed in small crystals in the conglomerate belonging to the new red sandstone, from the neighbourhood of Dawlish and Heavitree, near Exeter".

Under feldspar, the Manual of the Mineralogy of Great Britain and Ireland (1858) notes: "Devonshire ; Murchisonite, a flesh-red variety occurs in rolled
pebbles at Dawlish and at Heavitree near Exeter, Some of the
crystals are twins".

Heavitree has subsequently been subsumed into the City of Exeter, the area now being totally developed. The NGR given below is for Heavitree itself and is not a specific mineral location.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

ⓘ Orthoclase

1 valid mineral.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Orthoclase

Formula: K(AlSi₃O₈)

References:

Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (1870): 38. Annual Report, pp. 30-31

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘ	Orthoclase	9.FA.30	K(AlSi₃O₈)

List of minerals for each chemical element

O	Oxygen
O	ⓘ Orthoclase	K(AlSi₃O₈)
Al	Aluminium
Al	ⓘ Orthoclase	K(AlSi₃O₈)
Si	Silicon
Si	ⓘ Orthoclase	K(AlSi₃O₈)
K	Potassium
K	ⓘ Orthoclase	K(AlSi₃O₈)

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References

Philosophical Magazine 1827 pp 448-452

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