36 MADEEPOEAEIA, 



There are several specimens in the collection of the British Museum which appear 

 referable to this species, but unfortunately the habitat is not recorded of any of them. One 

 fine specimen forms a broad shallow vase 55 cm. wide and 16 cm. high, from an oval base 

 12 by 6 cm. across, with an extra central lobe not in the interior of the vase. The corallum, 

 in spite of its large size, is only 2 to 2"5 cm. thick, and is quite solid without any indication 

 of branches below, excepting near the margin. Corallites on the under surface very 

 crowded and spreading tubular, r5 to 2'5 mm. diameter and 2"5 to 4*5 mm. long. They 

 are longest near the base and have the wall a little thickened, strongly echinulate but not 

 striate ; they are usually so crowded that scarcely any coenenchyma occurs between, and 

 sometimes the walls are partly confluent; at the margin of the corallum they are strongly 

 appressed. The star consists of 6 moderately developed septa. There are no immersed 

 corallites on the under surface of this specimen (which is not at all worn), even those in the 

 lines of fusion of the branches have a ring-shaped border. The main branches are not 

 recognizable from the upper surface, excepting in the marginal 8 to 10 cm. of the colony 

 (where they are 8 mm. thick), but their course is clearly indicated by radiating rows of 

 proliferous corallites separated by rows of immersed or subimmersed ones. The branchlets 

 on the upper surface would be more correctly described as erect clusters of proliferous 

 corallites, none of which exceed 1'3 6m. in length, the majority are much shorter. They 

 occur in great numbers along the upper surface of the branches, and may consist of a single 

 elongate tubular corallite bearing appressed labellate ones at the base, of a cluster of 3 or 

 4 such proliferous corallites, or of larger groups 1 to 1'5 cm. in diameter. Axial corallites 

 cylindrical, 2 mm. broad, and usually 3 mm. exsert. Radial corallites chiefly labellate or 

 tubo-labellate, with a very elongate aperture 4 mm. long and 1*5 to 2 mm. wide at the apex, 

 but usually narrower below, wall strongly striate. Those corallites which are proliferous 

 become tubular and a little compressed, 6 mm. long and 2 mm. diameter. Between the 

 proliferous clusters, shorter labellate or immersed corallites occur, and immersed or 

 subimmersed corallites occupy the intervals between the rows of proliferations. In the 

 corallites of the upper surface the star is very imperfectly developed. Corallum porous 

 and reticulate in section, surface spongy and echinulate. "Wall of the corallites of the 

 upper surface distinctly striate, echinulate at the base. The branches of the inner lobe of 

 the vase are free at the extremities. 



Two other specimens agree in most points with the one already described, but are worn 

 and all the corallites on the under surface are immersed, but this may be due to injury. A 

 fourth specimen appears to represent an early condition of the species before the main 

 branches become fused into a solid plate. It consists of several curved fan-like lobes, the 

 branches of which are confluent only near the base. The free portions of the branches bear 

 a close resemblance to those of M. palmata forma prolifera under similar circumstances, 

 but difier in having proliferous corallites on their upper surface and short, rather stout 

 tubular ones below. 



Singapore; East Indies {Dana). 



Purchased, 73. 1. 20. 1. 



? 93. 4. 7. 66 & 67. 



? 93. 4. 7. 64. 



Purchased. 44. 6. 10. 15. (Young colony.) 



? 93.4.7.65. 



? 93. 4. 7. 132. 



