African affinity. On the other hand, it is perhaps as near 
the Madagascar H. quinquenervium, Griseb., thus showing 
an equivalent relation with that great Hast African Island. 
As, however, Peninsular India is the head-quarters of the 
genus Hxacwm, and two species have been detected in 
Socotra, whilst none occur in Arabia or the adjacent coast 
of Africa, and very few indeed in other parts of that 
continent, the Indian affinity of the Socotran Flora in this 
respect must be regarded as fairly established. 
Desor. A glabrous annual, one to two feet high, 
branching copiously from the base, leafy; stem stout, terete 
below, above and the branches obtusely four-angled. 
Leaves one to one anda half inch long, ovate or elliptic- 
ovate, obtuse or subacute, three-nerved or five-nerved, the 
two lateral nerves being very faint, rather coriaceous, base 
narrowed into a petiole a quarter to half an inch long. 
Flowers very numerous, in the forks of the upper branches, 
or three together at the ends of the branches, inclined or 
nodding. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, with a broad dorsal wing 
semicircular in vertical outline, tips acuminate. Corolla 
one-half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, pale 
_ bright blue, lobes broadly elliptic, almost rounded, subacute. 
Filaments short; anthers linear-oblong, dehiscing from the 
tip about half-way down. Ovary subglobose; style long, 
decurved, stigma capitate. Seeds extremely minute, rounded — 
and angular, testa chestnut-brown.—.J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Calyx and corolla (unfolded) ; 2, portion of corolla with stamens ; 3 and 4, 
anthers ; 5, pistil :—all enlarged. 
