2 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
2. The Column {Columna). 
The body rises in a more or less cylindrical shape, when 
the base is attached, like the trunk of a tree, often gi'ace- 
fully and rapidly diminishing from the basal expansion, 
and sometimes dilating towards the upjjer extremity : — this 
I call the COLUMN. At the summit {vertex), the column is, 
as it were, cut off transversely, forming a distinct MARGIN 
[margo). In some cases, as in Actinoloba, the margin rises 
into a thickened parapet [tichium) or low wall, separated 
from the tentacles by a groove or fosse (fossa). In others, 
there is neither parapet nor fosse. The margin may be 
NOTCHED (crenata) ; or, instead of notches there may be 
distinct tentacles, constituting the outer row of these organs ; 
in this case the margin is tentaculate (tentacidata). 
The surface of the column may be quite smooth (Icevis) ; 
studded with low warts, — warty (verrucosa) ; or marked 
with longitudinal sunken lines, — FURROWED (sulcata). 
When the furrows are deep and the intermediate spaces 
swell out in a rounded outline, it is invected (invecta ) ; 
when the column is surrounded by transverse wrinkles, it 
may be called insected (insecta) ; when these insections are 
so deep as to seem to cut-off or divide the body into parts, 
it is constricted (constricta) ; when the surface is crossed 
by numerous longitudinal and transverse wrinkles, it is CAN- 
CELLATED (cayicellata) ; when minutely and very irregularly 
wrinkled, like the bark of a rough tree, it is CORRUGATED 
(corrugata). Some of these conditions are not permanently 
characteristic of any species, but are assumed temporarily 
during the changes of form induced by contraction. As 
to substance, the column may be tough and resisting, 
approaching a leathery consistence (coriacea) ; fleshy 
(carnosa), when soft but moderately firm ; or pulpy 
(pulposa), when very soft and yielding. 
