carbonate-fluorapatite
Mineralogy
noun
A fluorine-containing mineral of the apatite group occurring as colourless or whitish crystals in some sedimentary rocks.
- The mineral is a carbonate and phosphate of calcium, Ca5(PO4,CO3)3F. Crystal system: trigonal. The mineral has also been called francolite, staffelite..
Origin
1930s; earliest use found in American Mineralogist.