Corallum foliate, forming irregular, distorted cup; arising from dead coral of same species by number of root-like processes. Edge 2 mm thick, lined with projections, each the free end of a ridge or papilla; deeply plicated.

Under surface marked with few low (in some places obscolescent) radial ridges ending with free papillae; general surface crowded with very fine spinules with truncate tips – on radial ridges they assume seriate arrangement. Calicles on lower surface small (0.5 mm or less), unevenly disposed, flush with surface. No epitheca.

Upper surface abundantly covered with nipple-like papillae (3-4 mm high) from center to periphery; all papillae inclined towards border but well rounded tips always stand vertically upward. Near edge, 2 or 3 papillae fuse to form many short, radially disposed ridges but component papillae always traceable because their tips are free.

Calicles on upper surface relatively few, unevenly and distantly distributed, confined to valleys, never carried upwards by papillae or ridges; slightly larger than those on under surface; somewhat difficult to locate.

Septa thin, in 2 cycles, with secondaries not complete in few corallites; appear to fill up limited calicinal fossa.

Perithecal reticulum quite close, meshes circular, covered all over with blunt tipped spinules; papillae more compact than valleys.

Remarks:This species resembles M. verrucosa in the form of the papillae but in new species they form ridges and do not have discernible relation with the calicles.

Source:Nemenzo F (1976). Some new Philippine scleractinian corals. Nat. Appli. Sci. Bull. 28:229- 276. 10 pls.