TRIBE I. ASTRjEACEA. 225 



II. Caliculis immersis ; collibus aut paulum sulcatis, aut integris. 



24. ASTRJEA DIPSACEA. (Lamarck.} 



A. convexa, subhemispherica ; polypis sape 8'" latis. Corallum percelr 

 lulosum, cellis 4-6'" latis, subangulatis et sape lobatis, vix profundis, 

 intus non coronatis ; collibus subtruncatis, interdum sulcatulis ; la- 

 mettis tenuibus, lacerato-dentatis, non confertis,fereregularibus: trans- 

 verse secto, stellis multiradiatis, cum cettulis decompositis ; septis 1'" 

 crassis, L-2-seriatim large cellulosis. 



Convex, subhemispherical ; polyps often 8 lines broad. Corallum light 

 cellular; cells 4 to 6 lines broad, subangular and often lobed, rather 

 deep, not coronate within; ridges subtruncate and sometimes slightly 

 sulcate; lamellae thin, lacerato-dentate, not crowded, nearly even: in 

 a transverse section, stars many-rayed with the cellules decompound; 

 septa a line thick, cellular, cellules large and in one or two series. 



Plate 11, fig. 4 o, vertical section of cell and ridges, showing profile 

 of the lamellae and internal cellules, natural size ; 4 b, the same through 

 the longer diameter of an oblong cell ; 4 c, vertical section of corallum, 

 natural size ; 4 d, transverse section, natural size. 



West Indies. 



This species is remarkable for the size and irregular form of its 

 cells (which are sometimes lobed and an inch long), the fragile lace- 

 rato-dentate lamellse, and its coarse cellular texture. It approaches the 

 flexuosa; but the texture is much more cellular, and the lamellse more 

 distant and more raggedly toothed. 



Mad.favosa, Ellis and Sol., 167, tab. 50, magnis, 4-5'" latis, angulatis, margine 



tig. 1, the cells are a little too regular. lato, echinato, lamellis serrato-dentatis, 



Astfcea dipsacea, Lamk., ii. 411, No. 16. dentibus majoribus intus cavis (nee per- 



, Lamour., Exp. Meth. 59, tab. 50, foratis)." 



fig. 1 ; Encyc., 129. The Astrcea abdita of Quoy and Gaymard, 



A. Dipsustrcea dipsacea, Blainv. Man. 373. as figured by them, comes near the dip- 



The A. dipsacea of Ehrenberg, from the sacea in internal texture and general size 



Red Sea (op. cit. G. lx., sp. 13), may be of the cells (Voy. de 1'Ast. iv. 205, pi. 16, 



a different species. It is described as figs. 4 and 5), which are described as 



follows :" Sesquipedalis et bipedalis, sub- sometimes confluent, 9 or 10 lines long, 



globosa, superficie soepius inccquali, stellis rounded or polygonal, rather shallow, 



57 



