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Any one of numerous species of Pennatula, Pteroides, and allied genera of Alcyonaria, having a featherlike form; a sea-pen. The zooids are situated along one edge of the side branches.

A division of alcyonoid corals, including the seapens and related kinds. They are able to move about by means of the hollow muscular peduncle, which also serves to support them upright in the mud. See Pennatula, and Illust. under Alcyonaria.

A North American nocturnal carnivore (Procyon lotor) allied to the bears, but much smaller, and having a long, full tail, banded with black and gray. Its body is gray, varied with black and white. Called also coon, and mapach.

A piece of a slender branch or twig cut for grafting. [Formerly written also cion, and cyon.]

A hard chitinous or calcareous process or corpuscle, especially a spicule of the Alcyonaria.

The calcareous or hornlike coral forming the central stem or axis of most compound alcyonarians; -- called also foot secretion. See Illust. under Gorgoniacea, and Coenenchyma. -- Scler`o*ba"sic, a.

found in the tissues of various invertebrate animals, especially in sponges and in most Alcyonaria.

An Asiatic wild dog (Canis procyonoides), native of Japan and adjacent countries. It has a short, bushy tail. Called also raccoon dog.

A genus of halcyonoids in which the skeleton, or coral (called organ-pipe coral), consists of a mass of parallel cylindrical tubes united at intervals by transverse plates. These corals are usually red or purple and form large masses. They are natives of the tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.…

A genus of deep-sea alcyonaria consisting of a cluster of large flowerlike polyps situated at the summit of a long, slender stem which stands upright in the mud, supported by a bulbous base.

Any one of numerous species of club-shaped, compound Alcyonaria belonging to Veretillum and allied genera, of the tribe Pennatulacea. The whole colony can move about as if it were a simple animal.

Any one of numerous species of long, slender Alcyonaria belonging to Virgularia and allied genera of the family Virgularidæ. These corals are allied to the sea-pens, but have a long rodlike rhachis inclosing a slender, round or square, calcareous axis. The polyps are arranged in transverse rows or clusters along each s…