304 A, E. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands; Coral Reefs. 
terminal branchlets 3-5" in diameter. The calicles are “ thickly 
set in irregular spirals,” circular or oval, with the margin slightly 
raised. Coenenchyma “ massive and formed of several layers of spic- 
ules.” The outer layer is composed of purple spindles and foliated 
clubs; the middle layer of large tuberculate spindles; the innermost 
layer of small radiate, tripartite, and fusiform spicules, purple or 
colorless. 
Polyps wholly retractile, tentacles with double rows of minute 
spindles on the outer side. Closely related to the preceding species. 
This appears to be one of the forms that have been included under 
P. flexuosa by several writers. The typical form of flexuosa (Lx.) 
was yellow and is not well known. The spicules have not been 
described. P. mutica D. and M., op. cit., p. 28, pl. iii, figs. 9, 10, is 
a similar yellow species, probably identical with flexwosa. Color 
alone is, however, of little specific value in this group. 
Plexaura homomalla (Esper) Lamx. Figure 147. Plate xxxva, fig. 3, spicules. 
Plexaura homomalla Lamx., Polyp. Flex., p. 480, 1816. Blainv. Man. Actin., 
p. 509. Edw. and Haime, iii, p. 155. Hargitt and Rogers, 1902, p. 285, 
fig. H (spicules). 
Gorgonia homomalla Esper, Pflanz., ii, p. 104, Gorg., pl. 29, figs. 1, 2, 1794. 
Lam. Hist., ii, p. 319. Dana, Zooph., p. 667. 
This is closely related to the preceding and has similar but smaller 
calicles and polyps. The branches and branchlets are more slender 
and flexible, with a softer axis, so that when dried they nearly 
always droop over to one side, but they are upright in life. It is 
usually only about a foot high (250 to 350™™) and often about as 
broad, forming rather closely branched or bushy clumps. 
Branchlets about 4 to 6™™ in diameter. 
Color usually dark brown, becoming umber-brown or blackish 
when dried. The surface is granular under a lens. 
The ceenenchyma is apt to be rather friable when dried and like 
the axis very hygroscopic, so that it easily becomes detached from 
the axis by unequal contraction. 
The axis is round and black in the larger branches. 
Common on the outer reefs. A common species on the Florida 
reefs and through the West Indies. 
