MOPSEAD.E. 



13 



35. PARISIS. 



" Coral irregularly branching, nearly on a plane. The axis con- 

 sists alternately of calcareous and suberous segments, of uniform 

 thickness, traversed by numerous narrow sul cations. The branches 

 originate from the calcareous segments. Coenenchyma [bark] per- 

 sistent, rather thin, somewhat membranous, with a rough surface. 

 Cells cylindrical, narroui , prominent, arranged irregularly on all sides 

 of the hranchlets, but often absent on the median surfaces of the larger 

 branches." — Verrill. 



Parisis, Verrill, Bull. Mus. Camp. Zool. 1865, p. 36, Proc. Essex Inst. 

 1865. 



89. Parisis fruticosa. B.M. 



Large, flabelliform ; the principal branches, arising irregularly 

 along the sides of the trunk, divide and subdi\-ido rapidly into 

 smaller branches and hranchlets, producing a densely ramulose 

 frond ; the branches ascend and diverge usually at an angle of about 

 50° ; the hranchlets often spread at right angles, and do not coalesce. 

 Papillfe numerous, crowded on the hranchlets, conical. Colour greyish 

 yellow. Axis white ; internodes yellowish brown. 



Parisis fruticosa, Verrill, Bull. 3Ius. Comp. Zool. p. 38. 



Hah. Sooloo Sea {Dana). 



90. Parisis laxa. 



Coral forming openly reticulate fronds ; papillas numerous, rounded 

 on all sides of the branches ; coenenchyma minutely villous in 

 alcohol. Calcareous joints shorter and internodes longer, than in 

 P. fruticosa, Verrill. 



Pai'isis laxa, Verrill, Proc. Essex Inst. 1865, v. pp. 152, 190. 



Hab. Hong-Kong ( W. Stimpson). 



Coral flabelliform, loosely branched, openly reticulated, onlj' a few 

 of the branches coalcseent ; hranchlets spreading nearly at right 

 angles, somewhat elongated, curved, obtuse at the ends. Papillae 

 rather large, irregularly crowded. Coenenchyma thin, roughened by 

 the points of the minute spicules. Axis slender, consisting of white 

 calcareous joints, alternating with shorter dai'k-brown ones of the 

 same thickness, but softer. Colour, in alcohol, light grey. Height 

 3 inches, width 3 inches, diameter of branches -g- inch. Colour, in 

 life, bright light blue. 



Section II. Axis articidated, stony, solid; articidations short, contracted, 

 horny or cartilaginous, branches from the horny joints. 



Fam. 9. MOPSEAD^. 



Coral branched, expanded in a plane ; branches dichotomous, 

 free ; hranchlets dichotomous or pinnate. Bark thin, smooth, spongy. 

 Polype-cells prominent, small, cylindrical, in series or whorls on each 



