A felsic igneous rock from the bottom of Bowen's Reaction Series. Typically light colored (few mafic minerals) with orthoclase the most obvious mineral (typically pink but also white or greenish), but quartz >20% is essential.
     

This rock can be confused with a syenite which appears superficially similar. The amount of quartz is the key: <20% and the rock is "quartz syenite".

 

Typical Minerals
Quartz > 20% 
Orthoclase is greater than 
Plagioclase
Mafics - < 10%

 

granite, as with all felsic rocks, is found on continents.  It is one of the last fractionation products and typically results from partial melting of the lower crust.

 

 

 

In this detail the pinkish colored orthoclase stands out clearly, but quartz is also common (clear, glassy, no cleavage; for example the grain on the bo

ttom, just left of center.) 

 

  

 

   

A felsic igneous rock from the bottom of Bowen's Reaction Series. When the crystals are this large the rock is called a pegmatite (although they can get much larger.) It usually forms from the water rich last portions of the magma; the water carring dissolved ions keeps the growing crystal well supplied with materials needed for its growth.

     

The pink orthoclase is obvious here. The darker gray, glassy mineral is quartz. There are also nice "books" of muscovite, better seen in the detail.

 

Mafics - < 10%