» Tas. 6824, 
EXACUM arring. 
_ Native of the Island of Socotra. 
Nat. Ord, GentianEx.—Tribe Exace2x. © 
Genus Exacum, Linn. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. ii. p. 803.) 
Exacum affine; annuum, erectum, ramosissinum, multiflorum, caule terete ramis 
tetragonis, foliis petiolatis ovatis ellipticisve obtusis v. subacutis 3—-5-nerviis, 
floribus pedicellatis parvis nutantibus 5-meris ceruleis, calycis lobis acuminatis 
late crasse alatis, corollz lobis elliptico-orbiculatis obtusis, filamentis brevibus, 
antheris lineari-oblongis ad apicem dehiscentibus, 
E. affine, Balf. fil. Diagn. Plant. Nov. Socotr. pars iii. p.6 ; Regel, Gartenflora, 
1883, p. 34, t. 1108; Wittmark in Gartenzeit, 1884, p. 111, fig. 28, 29; 
Masters in Gard. Chron. 1884, vol. i. p. 604, fig. 116. 
The rocky and to the superficial observer barren Island 
of Socotra in the Arabian Sea has yielded several plants of 
remarkable beauty, notably the Begonia socotrana (Plate 
6555); and when the complete botanical account of the 
Island is published by its first explorer, Dr. Balfour, no 
doubt other interesting novelties worthy of introduction 
into our stoves will be made known. Shortly after Dr. 
Balfour’s exploration Socotra was visited by the eminent 
African traveller and botanist Dr. Schweinfurth, who also 
made large botanical collections, which he has generously 
entrusted to Dr. Balfour to be incorporated with his own 
for publication, and their joint results are being published 
in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 
Both these investigators found Hzxacum affine growing 
abundantly on the banks of water-courses. The specimen 
here figured is one of many raised from seeds sent to Kew 
by Messrs. Haage and Schmidt, of Erfurt, which have con- 
tinued flowering since the middle of April. The introducer 
of the species is Dr. Schweinfurth. 
As a species Hzacum affine is allied to several Indian 
ones, notably to H. petiolare, Griseb., of Western India, 
which is an mdication of the relationship of the Socotran 
Flora with the Peninsular Indian, as the Begonia is of its 
JuLY lst, 1885. 
