PRIMNOADJE. 43 



Fam. 18. PRIMNOAD^. 



Coral simple or branched ; branches forked or pinnate. The axis 

 continuous, inarticulate, solid, containing a large portion of carbo- 

 nate of lime, especially towards the base, where it is stony, but 

 horn-like at the smaller branches. Bark formed of imbricate cal- 

 careous plates, without any distinct lateral groove or smooth 

 lateral space. Polype-cells bent down on all sides of the branches, 

 often arranged in whorls, very prominent, covered with imbricate 

 scale-like spicules, usually smoother at the narrow base. 



Primnoacea (part.), Milne-Edw. Corall. i. p. 138; Verrill, Mem. Boston 

 Soc. Nat. Hist. 1862, i. p. 9 ; Kolliker, Ic. Hist. p. 135. 



Primnoadze, Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 285, 1859, p. 483 ; Ann. 8f Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. 1859, iv. p. 442. 



Primuoa, Lamx. Polyp. Flex. p. 440; Milne-Edw. fy Haime, Corall. i. 

 p. 139. 



A. Polype-cells ovate ,pedu)icled } large, scattered or in whorls on 

 the branches. 



1. PRIMNOA. Coral tree-like, dichotomous. Cells ovate, bell- shaped, 



in threes. 



2. THOUARELLA. Coral bottlebrush- shaped ; branches subsimple. 



Cells ovate, solitary on the upperside of the branches. 



3. CHRYSOGORGIA. Coral cylindrical, furcately branched. Cells bell- 



shaped, sessile, scattered on the sides of the branches. 



4. FANELLIA. Coral fan-shaped, branches and branchlets compressed 



on a plane. Cells ? 



5. EJISEA. Coral branched, paniculate. Cells bell-shaped, largely 



pedicelled, racemose. 



6. MYTJRA. Coral simple. Cells ovate, in series on the sides of the 



stem. 



B. Polype-cells tubercular, on the sides of the branches. 



7. SWIFTIA. Coral branched, furcate. Cells conical, truncate, in two 



alternating series. 



8. THESEA. Coral branched, branches slender. Cells subalternate. 



C. Polype-cells cylindrical or clavate, diverging, in two lateral 

 series on the branches. 



9. STENELLA. 



