GLOSSARY OF PRINCIPAL TECHNICAL TERMS 

 USED IN CORAL TAXONOMY 



basal plate: The lower part of the coral cup, separating the 



polyp from the substrate, 

 calice: The upper or open end of the corallite or coral 



cup. 

 centers: Regions in a series which correspond to the 



centers of calices. 

 cerioid: Form of colony when corallites or individual 



coral cups are closely pressed together and 



directly united by their walls, resulting in 



polygonal cups or calices. 

 coenenchyme: Coral skeleton formed outside the wall of the 



cup or corallite. 

 coenosarc: The soft part of the polyp which lies against 



the outside of the coral wall or cup. 

 columella: Central axial structure formed from inner ends 



of septa. 

 compound: Used to describe trabeculae composed of a 



series of bundles of sclerodermites or centers of 



calcification. 

 corallite: The coral structure or cup formed by an indi- 



vidual polyp in the colony, 

 corallum: The entire coral formed by a colony, 



costae: Continuations of the septa beyond the wall or 



theca. 

 dendroid: Spreading branches, each a single corallite. 



dissepiment: Horizontal plates between septa or costae cut- 



ting off older, lower, parts of skeleton and 



supporting the polyp, 

 edge-zone Part of the polyp which extends beyond the 



wall of the cup over the general coral surface, 

 encrusting: Coral growth which forms thin continuous 



sheets directly attached to the substrate, 

 endotheca : Consists of intrathecal dissepiments or horizontal 



plates within the cup or coral wall, 

 epitheca: The vertical coral wall rising from the basal 



plate, 

 essential: A columella similar in origin to pali. May be a 



group of twisted rods or fused into a single 



style. 



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