;>S BOTANY OF SOCOTRA, 



Order XXIII. AMPELIDE^. 



A small order of plants, frequently climbers, widely spread over the warmer 

 regions of the globe, but most abundant in the old world. 



VITIS. 



Vitis, Linn. Gen. n. 284 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. i. 387. 



A genus which constitutes nearly the whole order, and has its distribution. 

 It is represented in Socotra by three species, two of which are endemic, and 

 the third is a tropical African and Asiatic species. 



1. V. quadrangularis, Wall. Cat. 5992; Baker in Oliv. Flor. Trop. Afr. 

 i. 399 ; Laws, in Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. i. 645 ; Wight Ic. t. 51. 



Socotra. On the plateau south-west from Galonsir at an altitude over 

 1500 feet. B.C.S. n. 304. 



Distrib. Through tropical Africa, Johannas, Ceylon, and India, to Malacca. 



The plant on Socotra is almost leafless, only on the terminal shoots do we 

 find leaves, and these are in our specimens rather more attenuated at the base 

 of the lamina than is usual in the type. I have, however, but little hesitation 

 in referring our plant to this species. 



It grows in small clumps covering the wide plateaux at the western end of 

 the island. 



2. V. subaphylla, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 506. 



Dumetosa'ramulis complanatis art nodos contractis non alatis carnosis • foliis paucis integris 

 subspathulatis v. oblanceolatis in petiolum attenuates glabris ; cymis brevibus urabellatim 

 ramosis ; pedicellis tenuibus ; iioribus tetrameris ; fructu conico viridi. 



Suffrutex caulibus ramisque dense intertextis duuietumque formantibus. Caidcs paullo conferti 

 ad nodos contract! interuodiis 2\ poll, longis glabris sed cuticulosquamoso-rumpente carnosis. 

 Hamuli juveniles multocompressi sicci valde striati. Folia pauca ad ramulos juveniles 

 solum obsidentia rnox decidua simplicia petiolata ^ poll, longa \ poll, lata subspathulata v. 

 anguste oblanceolata et in petiolum attenuata subacuta integra glabra carnosula. Cirrhi 

 oppositifolii versus basin articulati et ad nodum squama amplexicauli suff'ulti. Flores in 

 cymas laterales umbellatim ramosas 2| poll. diam. glabras dispositi ; pedicelli tenues § 

 poll, longi. Calyx cyathiformis 4-dentatus. Petala 4. Stylus subulatus; Fructus conicus 

 \ poll, longus glaber viridis longe pedicellatus. 



Nom. Vern. Atarha (B.C.S.). Atherhaa (Schweinf.). 



Socotra. Very common on the plain near Galonsir. B.C.S. n. 81. 

 Schweinf. n. 244. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



This is quite a distinct species in the simple entire-leaved group of vines. 

 Like V. quadrangularis, as found in Socotra, it is nearly leafless, only the 



