16 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



Even if all these forms be reduced to one species, the Socotran plant has 

 in its pedicels, capsules, and seeds, characters quite sufficient to distinguish it 

 specifically though it is not far removed from them. 



Seeds of this plant sent home to Kew germinated, and in the autumn of 

 1880 the plants flowered. 



2. OCHRADENUS. 



Ochrathmis, Del. Fl. ^Egypt. 92, t. 31, f. 1 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. i. 112. 



A genus of two species of shrubs, one found in Spain, the other, which 

 occurs in Socotra, extends from Egypt eastwards to Scindh. 



O. baccatus, Del. Fl. ^Egypt. 92, t. 31 ; Boiss. Flor. Orient, i. 422 ; Oliv. 

 Flor. Trop. Afr. i. 104 ; Hook. fil. and Thorns, in Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. i. 182. 



Nom Vern. Girclhi. (Schweinf.) 



Socotra. Common on the limestone plains at the east and west ends of 

 the island. B.C.S. n. 2. Schweinf. n. 372. 



Distrib. Nile Land and through Arabia to Scindh. 



l »' 



Order VI. VIOLARIE^E. 



A small family of about twenty-one genera of herbs or under- shrubs 

 represented in all parts of the world. The herbaceous forms are chiefly 

 temperate, the shrubby more frequently tropical. 



1. VIOLA. 



Viola, Linn. Gen. n. 1007 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. i. 117. 



A large genus of about one hundred species of herbs, distributed in tem- 

 perate and mountainous regions all over the world. 



V. cinerea, Boiss. Diagn. se>. 1. 1. 7. Flor. Orient, i. 454 ; Hook. fil. 

 and Thorns, in Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. i. 185. 



Socotra. Near Galonsir. B.C.S. n. 701. 



Distrib. Through Arabia and Persia to Afghanistan. 



Our specimens are not in flower, but I have no doubt of the identification. 



2. IONIDIUM. 



Ionidium, Vent. Hort. Malm. t. 27 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. i. 117. 



A considerable genus of herbaceous or shrubby plants represented chiefly 

 in America. 



