TRIBE II. CARYOPHYLLACEA. 351 



Actinaria with numerous tentacles, in two or more series. Mostly 

 gernmiparous ; gemmation inferior, the polyps not widening at 

 summit. Generally coralligenous; coralla calcareous, cells many- 

 rayed, surface between the cells in aggregate coralla, rarely obso- 

 letely lamello-striate, or not at all so. 



The large number of tentacles of the polyps of this tribe, allies them 

 to the Astrseacea, and at the same time separates them from the fol- 

 lowing tribes of Actinaria: moreover, while the inferior gemmation of 

 the species removes them from the former group, it affiliates them 

 to the latter. The recent species are strongly marked in their cha- 

 racteristics : the interstices between the cells are not lamello-striate, 

 but granulous or porous, or sometimes faintly channelled ; the lamella 

 are nearly or quite entire, or rarely denticulate ; within the coral, the 

 lamellee are united to one another laterally only by very distant dis- 

 sepiments, if any ; the stars in a transverse section are always simple, 

 the cellules being never crossed by dissepiments ; the cells are very 

 commonly cylindrical with narrow lamellae arranged neatly around, and 

 have often a broad bottom, generally porous and convex. These are 

 their common characteristics, and in connexion with lateral budding, 

 they afford an easy means of distinguishing the species, although 

 some of these characters are also presented by some among the 

 Astraeacea. The distinction between the massive species and the 

 Astraidse is stated on page 203. 



The fossil Cyathophyllidae constitute an intermediate group, com- 

 bining the inferior gemmation of the recent Caryophyllacea with the 

 structure of the Astrsea tribe, as is described in the remarks on that 

 family. The mode of budding is the essential character by which 

 these species are separated from the Astaeidee. 



The recent Caryophyllacea pass into the calicularly branched 

 Astrseacea by the genus Euphyllia of the latter, in which the lamellae 

 of the cells are entire or nearly so, and the exterior of the calicles is 

 often smooth ; and moreover, like the former, they have a wide geo- 

 graphical range in latitude. Other transitions take place through the 

 Oculinae, Astroites, and Anthophylla. 



A single group in this tribe, the Zoanthidse, form no proper corallum. 

 It is quite possible that some of the Actinias may also be discovered to 

 present the characteristics of this group, although their relations to it 

 are not made apparent by budding. 



