18 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



ABERIA. 



Aheria, Hochst. in Flora 1844, Beil. 2 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. i. 128. 



A genus of seven species of trees or shrubs. Two of these occur at the Cape, 

 one is peculiar to Ceylon, and the remaining four are tropical African. The 

 Socotran plant is one of these last. 



A. abyssinica, Clos in Ann. Sc. Nat. se>. 4. viii. (1857), 236 ; Oliv. Flor. 

 Trop. Afr. i. 122. 



Boumea abyssinica, Aeh. Rich. Tent. Flor. Abyss, i. 34, t. 8. 



Nom. Veen. Ugelhas (B.C.S.) 



Socotra. Common. B.C.S. n. 384. Schweinf. n. 609. 



Distrib. Abyssinia. 



We obtained specimens of this plant with very young flower buds only, 

 but Schweinfurth, in the month of May, got male flowers in splendid condition, 

 which enable us to determine it. Although the female flowers and fruit of our 

 Socotran plant are unknown, the general resemblance with the Abyssinian plant 

 is so great as to leave little doubt as to their identity. Richard describes the 

 Abyssinian plant as a large tree ; on Socotra it is little more than a shrub. 



Order VIII. POLYGALEA 



A considerable order of herbs, rarely trees, widely dispersed all over the 

 world. 



POLYGALA. 



Polyrjala, Linn. Gen. n. 851 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. i. 136. 



A very large genus of herbs or shrubs found in temperate and tropical 

 regions of both hemispheres. Of the Socotran species, two are essentially north- 

 west tropical African and south-west Asiatic species, one, however, extending to 

 the Cape de Verde Islands and the other to Natal ; the third species is not African, 

 but is found out of tropical Asia in Socotra and in Australia. 



1. P. abyssinica, Fres. in Mus. Senck. ii. 273 ; Oliv. Fk>r. Trop. Afr. i. 

 130 ; Benn. in Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. i. 202. 



Socotra. Common. B.C.S. n. 602. 



Distrib. Abyssinia to Natal, and in Afghanistan and north-west India. 



2. P. erioptera, DC. Prod. i. 326 ; Boiss. Flor. Orient, i. 469 ; Benn. in 

 Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. i. 203. 



