AbstractThe formation of cokes and graphites proceeds via the creation from the isotropic fluid phase of carbonization of pitch and coal, of lamellar nematic liquid crystals or mesophase. This anisotropic fluid, deformable mesophase, develops as spheres within which constituent molecules are stacked parallel to an equatiorial plane. This type of structure facilitates coalescence to a coherent mass which eventually forms a graphitisable carbon. The ‘onion‐skin’ structure of mesophase spheres cannot so coalesce. Different optical textures of cokes and graphites owe their origin to different chemical reactivities and fluidities of mesophase, the lower the fluidity the smaller the size of the optical texture. Mesophase from lameller molecules is compared with conventional rod‐like nematic liquid crystals. Structures in needle‐cokes, metallurgical coke, coke from solvent refiend coal and carbon fibre from pitch are discussed in terms of formation and properties of lamellar nematic liquid