Egernia
Egernia is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae) that occurs in Australia. These skinks are ecologically diverse omnivores that inhabit a wide range of habitats. However, in the loose delimitation (which incorporates about 30 species) the genus is not monophyletic but an evolutionary grade, as has long been suspected due to its lack of characteristic apomorphies.
Some of the skinks traditionally placed in Egernia appear to be among the most intelligent squamates. They have been shown to be able to distinguish between relatives and unrelated conspecifics, and can recognize relatives individually. Several species form monogamous pair-bonds. Most of these species belong to Egernia sensu stricto, and similar behaviour is also known in the related Solomon Islands Skink (Corucia zebrata). The latter means that the high intelligence and social skills are probably plesiomorphic for the Egernia genus-group as a whole, and that the solitary species appear to have evolved towards being less intelligent and social again. It may still be, however, that the intelligent behaviour is a homoplasy that evolved several times in the Egernia genus-group; the fact that Corucia is a monotypic and rather distinct genus makes it impossible to decide at present.
Rugosa
The Rugosa, also called the Tetracoralla, are an extinct order of coral that were abundant in Middle Ordovician to Late Permian seas.
Solitary rugosans (e.g., Caninia, Lophophyllidium, Neozaphrentis, Streptelasma) are often referred to as horn corals because of a unique horn-shaped chamber with a wrinkled, or rugose, wall. Some solitary rugosans reached nearly a meter in length. However, some species of rugose corals could form large colonies (e.g., Lithostrotion). When radiating septa were present, they were usually in multiples of four, hence Tetracoralla in contrast to modern Hexacoralla, colonial polyps generally with sixfold symmetry.
Rugose corals have a skeleton made of calcite that is often fossilized. Like modern corals (Scleractinia), rugose corals were invariably benthic, living on the sea floor or in a reef-framework. Some symbiotic rugose corals were endobionts of Stromatoporoidea, especially in the Silurian. Although there is no direct proof, it is inferred that these Palaeozoic corals possessed stinging cells to capture prey. They also had tentacles to help them catch prey. Technically they were carnivores, but prey-size was so small they are often referred to as microcarnivores.
Ulmus glabra 'Rugosa'
The Wych Elm cultivar Ulmus glabra 'Rugosa' was identified by Loudon in Arb. Frut. Brit. 3: 1898 as Ulmus montana (: glabra) var. rugosa Masters; another cultivar of the same name was earlier listed in Audibert's (Tonelle, Tarascon, France) catalogue of 1817 but without description.
Description
Loudon described the tree as having "dark, reddish-brown bark, cracking into short, regular pieces, very like Acer campestre; a tree of spreading growth and moderate size." It was later described by Hartwig & Rümpler as having somewhat folded leaves, and being pyramidal, thick and bushy.
Cultivation
Only one specimen is known to survive, at Brighton, UK. 'Rugosa' is not known to have been introduced to North America or Australasia.
Accessions
Europe
References
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