60 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



1. ALLOPHYLUS. 



Allophylus, Linn. Gen. n. 476. 



Schmiddia, Linn. Mant. C7 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PL i. 396. 



A large genus of trees or shrubby plants, chiefly inhabiting America, but 

 represented all through the tropics of the old world. 



1. A. (Schmidelia) rhoidiphyllus, Balf. fil. in Proc. Eoy. Soc. Edin. 

 xi. (1882), 507. 



Arboretis plusminusve pubescens ; foliis trifoliolatis, foliolis obovatis v. oblongo-obovatis v. 

 oblongo-ellipticis obtusis v. einarginafcis basi cuneatis revolutis sinuato-crenatis subtus 

 petiolisque pubesceutibus ; racemis densis foliis sukequilongis ; pedicellis floribus vix 

 longioribus ; petalis staminibusque declinatis. 



Arbor parva caulibus glauco-griseis. Hamuli pubescentes lenticellis punctati saepe rugosi et 

 conferti. Folia petiolata trifoliolata magnitudine variantia £-2 poll, longa §-1 poll, lata 

 (petiolo y\— 12 P°l^- l° n g°) se d i n exemplis maximis interdum 5£ poll, longa 2 poll, lata 

 petioloque 2^ poll, longo ; foliola obovata v. oblongo-obovata v. elliptico-oblonga obtusa v. 

 late acuta v. emarginata basi euneata integraque apice sinuato-lobata revoluta subtus 

 pubescentia nervisque proininulis ad axillas villosis, supra subglabra nitidaque v. sub- 

 pubescentia et saturate viridia, terminali foliolo maximo sessili v. petiolulato petiolulo 

 pubescente. Flores breviter pedicellati in fasciculos 2-4-floros ad rbacbim pubescentem 

 1^-2 poll, longam foliis subeequilongam solitariam axillarem dense aggregati ; pedicelli 

 ^j- poll, longi calyce vix longiores. Scpala 4 scapboidea imbricata. Petala 4 irregularia, 

 limbo transverse oblongo subtrilobato squamifero. Stamina in fl. 6 exserta, in fl. ? inclusa. 

 Ovarium 2-3-lobatum 2-3-loculare compressum pilis adpressis vestitum. Stylus 2-3-fidus 

 lobis subulatis. Drupce plerumque solitarne globosre v. subpyriformes \ poll. diam. 

 aureae. 



Nom. Vern. Zirkin (B.C.S.). Sirki (Schweinf.). 



Socotra. Very common. B.C.S. mi. 160 ? 247, 248, 348, 421. Schweinf. 

 nil. 413, 474. 



Distrib. East Africa. 



Under this name I group a number of specimens brought from different 

 localities on the island, which I consider to be merely states of one very common 

 and variable species. We have not perfect specimens with foliage-leaves, 

 flowers, and fruit of all of them, indeed we only obtained flower-buds on one 

 form, the others were collected in fruit. Schweinfurth, however, sends beautiful 

 flowering specimens of two of the forms, which have enabled us to determine 

 the genus and to give a diagnosis. The foliage is so thoroughly that of Rhus, 

 that without an examination of flowers, one would certainly refer this plant to 

 that genus. The variation in the leaves is very great, not so much in form as 

 in size and clothing. In some specimens the leaves are fully five and a half 

 inches long by two inches broad, whilst in the smaller leaved states they may 

 be but a half-inch long. The plant is sometimes altogether pubescent, in other 

 specimens we find an almost glabrous condition. 



