What is "triplite"

Triplite \Trip"lite\, n. [Cf. F. triplite. See Triple.] (Min.) A mineral of a dark brown color, generally with a fibrous, massive structure. It is a fluophosphate of iron and manganese.

n. (context mineralogy English) A rare manganese-bearing phosphate mineral.

Triplite is a rare phosphate mineral with formula: . It occurs in phosphate-rich granitic pegmatites typically as irregular brown opaque masses. Triplite was first described in 1813 for an occurrence in Chanteloube, Limousin, France. The name is from the Greek triplos for triple, in reference to the three cleavage directions. In color and appearance, it is very similar to rhodocrosite, another manganese bearing mineral. Chemically, it is also quite similar to triploidite the difference being that triplite is fluorine dominant while triploidite is hydroxide dominant.