PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 7 



Glabra v. puberula nunc hirsuta. Folia 3-3£ poll, longa lyrato-pinnatisecta segmento 

 terrninali obcuneato-trilobato, caulinia rarius integra lineari-lanceolata apiculata, inferiora 

 segmentis ssepe f poll, longis oblongis v. subrotundatis obtusis subcrenatis interdum dentatis, 

 superiora segmentis ovatis v. lanceolatis acutis dentatis ; petiolus 1-2 poll, longus. Flores 

 albi. Scpala patula. Siliqua subcompressa |— £ poll, longa, longe graciliterque pedicellata 

 (pedicellis §-| poll, longis) patentia torulosa, valvis trinerviis rostroque conico basi mono- 

 spermo dimidio breviore v. subequilongo sug'ultis. Semina ellipsoidea. 

 Socotra. Abundant on the hill slopes up to a great elevation. Most 

 frequently in sheltered spots under cliffs or boulders. B.C.S. n. 245. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



Of Eastern species, B. Tournefortii, Gouan (Ilk 44, t. 20a), a form with a 

 considerable distribution, extending on the Mediterranean shores as far west as 

 Spain, and reaching to Persia and northern India, has most resemblance with 

 the Socotran plant. With B. fruticulosa, Cyr. (PI. Ear. ii. 7, t. 1), a plant of 

 Oran and the Mediterranean basin, our plant has also close affinity. From both 

 its foliage, white flowers with spreading sepals, and three-nerved valves to the 

 pods, distinguish it, whilst from the last-mentioned species the additional 

 character of the long strong beak to the pods is diagnostic. 



This is a species that varies much in clothing. Typically almost glabrous, it 

 passes through more or less puberulous states, until it is at times quite hirsute. 

 With the hirsute condition is associated in the specimens gathered a more pro- 

 nounced dentation or serration of the leaf segments. When these characters are 

 fully developed, one might designate the form a variety as,— 



B. rostrata, Balf. fil. var. hirsuta, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Eclin. xiii. 

 (1883). 

 Omnino hirsuta foliisque arete dentato-serratis. 



Socotra. Not so common as the species. B.C.S. n. 555. 



Dtstrib. Endemic. 



5. LACHNOCAPSA. 



Lachnocapsa, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 500. 



Sepala erecta, lateralia basi saccata. Petala unguiculata. Stamina libera, edentula. Siliqua 

 brevis, plano-compressa, subcordata v. orbicularis, tomentosa, subsessilis, foliis similissima, 

 2-locularis loculis interdum bilocellatis, 1-3-sperma ; valvis seepe septulatis, apteris, 

 crassis, spongiosis, septo contrarie compressis ; septum lineare, enervium, chartaceum ; stylo 

 prope nullo ; stigmate bilobo. Semina in locellis solitaria, suspensa, oblonga, subcom- 

 pressa, immarginata; testa nonmucosa ; radiculaincumbens. — Fruticulus dirTusus,.ramosus 

 albide tomentosus, cortice rumpente decidenteque. Folia alterna integra. Flores 

 axillares, subsessiles, lutei. * 



A monotypic endemic genus. It is a very distinct one, and remarkable by its 

 shrubby habit and the downy cordate pods, which resemble so closely the leaves 

 that is is difficult to distinguish them. 



Its affinities are somewhat obscure. Angustiseptate pods with incumbent 



