308 Professor Bayley Balfour [April 20, 



Of the families most numerously represented, Leguminosce. and 

 GraminecE each embrace about 1-llth of the whole Phfenogams, and 

 they are closely followed by Gompositce (about 1-1 4th), Acanthacece 

 and EupJwrhiacece (each about l-20th), and Cyperacece (about l-25th). 

 Orchidece are represented by but one species. Liclienes are most 

 numerous of Cellular Cryptogams. 



The flora of a continental island such as Socotra is in the main 

 interesting in connection with the geographical distribution of plants 

 and the working out of the history of their migrations over the face of 

 the globe. But in the flora now under discussion there are a 

 number of special features in individual plants well deserving of 

 attention, and I may now notice some of them. 



Of plants striking as having brilliant flowers may be noted the 

 Adenium, from which Aden is said to derive its name ; a tuberous 

 Begonia, which has been introduced into horticulture ; a fragrant 

 Crinum, species of Exacim, Buellia, Jasminum, &c. Few wild plants 

 yield edible fruits. The jujube is alone abundant. 



On morj)hological grounds there falls to be noticed firstly Den- 

 drosicyos socotrana, known to the inhabitants as the camJiane tree, 

 a new genus of Cucurbitacese. This plant difi'ers from the ordinal 

 characters in being a tree with a stem often four or five feet in 

 diameter at the base, rapidly tapering, and forming a very soft juicy 

 wood. Another plant of interest, on morphological grounds, is a 

 small tree bearing a fruit like a pomegranate, but instead of having 

 the double row of carpels characteristic of the true Punica granatum, 

 there is but a single whorl. Can this be the primitive type of 

 the Pomegranate ? Another morphologically interesting plant is a 

 Menisperm, a Coccidus, which differs from the ordinal type in being a 

 hard erect undershrub, with cladodes and short spiny branches. 



Of plants interesting for their products we have several in Socotra. 

 Amongst them the first place is claimed by the Dragon's-blood tree, 

 Draccena Ginnahari. The dragon's-blood of commerce at the present 

 time is, as is well known, the product of Calamus Draco of Sumatra. 

 But the Socotran gum-resin is the old Ktwd/SapL mentioned by Dios- 

 corides. It is known on the island as edaJi ; amongst the Arabs it is 

 hdtlr. The plant is endemic, and nearly allied to the D. Draco of 

 Teneriffe. From the other gum-resin-producing species, D. Omhet 

 of Abyssinia and D, schizantha of Somali-land, of which we have as 

 yet but imperfect knowledge, it is apparently quite distinct. The 

 gum-resin exudes in tears from the stem of the tree, and is collected 

 after the rains ; the gatherer chipping off the tears into goat-skins. 

 There are three forms in which the gum-resin is exported. Of these 

 edaJi amsello — the tears as they exude from the tree — is the purest 

 and most valuable form ; 2^ lbs. fetch one dollar. The second-best 

 kind is called edah dukkaJi. It consists of the small chijDS and frag- 

 ments of the tears which have been broken off in separating the gum- 

 tears from the tree, or by attrition ; it sells at one dollar for 4 lbs. 

 The cheapest is the edah mukdehali, which brings a dollar for 5 lbs., 



