w
f . l
Bewe 'imji.
P l a t e LXXIII.
MELOBESIA AGARICIFOIIMIS, Haw.
O en. Ciia e . Frond, attached or free, either flattened, orbicular, sinuated or
irregularly lobed, or cylindrical and branclied, (never articulated),
coated with a calcareous deposit. Fructification; conical, sessüe capsules
{ceramidia), scattered over the surface of the frond, and containing
a tuft of transversely parted, oblong tetraspores. Melobesia
( i « o » r . ) ,—from one of the Sea nymphs of Hesiod.
W m am sis. agariciformis; frond unattached, globular, hollow; foliations
delicate, papyro-orustaceous, dense, erect, much lobed and sinuate,
fastigiate; margin thin, entire.
Millepora agariciformis, Pall. Flench, p. 268. Lam. A n. s. vert. vol. ii.
p. 204. 2nd. Edit. p. 2. 312.
M il l e p o r a co riacca , Linn. Syst. p . 1285. Fsp. Mill. 1 .12.
M il l e p o r a d e c u s s a ta ? Ellis et Soland. Zooph. p . 1 3 1 . t . 2 3 . f. 9.
M il l e p o r a tortuosa, Faper. t. 22.
N u l l ip o r a agariciformis, Blainv. Actin. p . 605. Johnst. Br. Spon. and Lith.
p . 241. woodcut, no. 23.
P o l l io ip o r a ag a ric ifo rm is , Fhr. Beitr. p. 129.
L it h o p h y l l u m e x p a n sum , Phil, in Wieg. Arch. 1 8 3 7 . p . 3 8 9 . excl. syn.
M e l o b e s ia ex p a n sa , Endl. 3rd Suppl. p . 4 9 .
L it h o p h y l l u m d e c u s s a tum ? Phil. I.e. t . 9. f. 4.
M e l o b e s ia decussata? Fndl. I. c.
Mosco petroso, Imperat. Hist. Nat. 600. cum. icone.
F avagine di Aristotele, specie prima, Ginnani. Op. t. 44.
H ab. Lying on the sandy bottom of quiet bays, in 3 -3 fathoms water.
Eare, Eoundstone Bay, Cunnemara, in one or two places only,
abundant but very local, Mr. Mo’ Calla.
G e o g r . D i s t r . Atlantic and Mediterranean shores of Europe.
Descr. Frond, unattached, forming globular or ovoid masses from four to eight
inches in diameter, hollow within, seemingly from the decay of the central
portion ; very light, of a papery thinness and crustaceous substance ; composed
of innumerable sinuated and lobed laminæ, issuing from a point
towards tbe centre of the frond, and directed in a radiating manner to the
circumference. In the centre of the frond the laminæ are much united
together, with vacant spaces and passages forming an irregular set of chambers
• toward the cfrcumference, the lobes are distinct from each other,
standing erect, variously grouped; either sinuated, or bent into semicircular
forms, imbricating on each other, or cmled round into little cups, or trumpet
mouthed siphons. The apices of all are neaiiy fastigiate, and the margin is
thin aud quite entire. The colour when recent, is more or less tinged witT
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