Key to the Chilean Alcyonium species

1. Colonies membranous and/or lobate ........................................................................................................... 2

-. Colonies digitiform or digitate..................................................................................................................... 5

2. Interior base with sparsely ornamented rods ............................................. A. sollasi Wright & Studer, 1889

-. Interior base without sparsely ornamented rods .......................................................................................... 3

3. Only capstans and spindles in coenenchyme .................................................. A. grandis Casas et al., 1997

-. Coenenchyme also with clubs .................................................................................................................... 4

4. Capstans very tuberculate, tentacle bases with clubs ............................................................ A. roseum n. sp

-. Capstans sparsely tuberculate, tentacle bases without clubs ........... A. antarcticum Wright & Studer, 1889

5. Interior with spindles only ...................................................................... A. haddoni Wright & Studer, 1889

-. Interior with rods and spindles .................................................................................................................... 6

6. Colonies with slender lobes (<0.5 cm wide) ......................................................................... A. jorgei n. sp.

-. Colonies with robust lobes (1 cm wide and more) ...................................................................................... 7

7. Interior of complete colony with sparsely ornamented rods, most clubs without central wart ..................... .................................................................................................................................... A. glaciophilum n. sp.

-. Only interior of base with sparsely ornamented rods, most clubs with central wart......... A. yepayek n. sp.