66 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



Herba perennis ramulis juvenilibus dense senioribus sparsiin pilis albis adpressis vestitis \- 2- 

 pedalibus prostratis tenuibus. Folia unifoliolata sessilia v. subsessilia plerumque sub- 

 obliqua saepe angusta linearis v. oblongo-linearia late acuta f-1 poll, longa \-\ poll, lata 

 sed ad formas ellipticas v. oblongas v. oblongo-ellipticas obtusas v. subacutas variantia 

 strigulosa. Stipulce perspicuae setiformes mox deciduae. Eacemi saepe 8 poll, longi 4-8- 

 flori terminales et foliis oppositi ; bracteobe minutae ; pedicelli I poll, longi bracteolis 

 triplolongiores ultime deflexi. Calyx £ poll, longus alte 5-fidus, laciniis subaequalibus v. 

 superioribus latioribus acuminatis tubum niulto excedentibus extus piloso-strigulosis. 

 Corolla crocea calycem parum superans ; vexillum £ .poll, longum rotundatum rutilo- 

 venosum ; carina rostrata antice breviter villosa. Legumen oblongum -j^ poll, longum \ 

 poll, latum dense pubescens longe exsertum. Semina sex. 



Socotra. Common on the sandy plains. B.C.S. nn. 72, 663. Schweinf. 

 nn. 656, 721. 



Like so many of the Socotran plants, this species shows considerable 

 variation in the leaves, both as to size and to form. Schweinfurth sends a 

 specimen (n. 656) from Wadi Kischen, which I take to be merely a form of our 

 plant, but it has pubescent almost hirsute stems and leaves, and these latter are 

 larger than is usual and entirely elliptic. The floral pedicels in this form are 

 stouter and the fruit longer, attaining fully half an inch. I do not, however, 

 see how it can be separated from the type. 



The closest affinity of the Socotran plant is probably with C. triquetra, 

 Dalzell (in Hook Kew Journ. ii. (1850), 34 ; Baker in Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. 

 ii. 71), a plant of the Deccan peninsula and Ceylon; but it is a glabrescent 

 plant, and the pods are 15-16-seeded. With C. prostrata, Eoxb. (Hort. BeDg. 54; 

 Baker, loc. cit. 67), from the same localities, there is also a resemblance, and 

 especially through Schweinfurth's form (n. 656) ; but the glabrous pods, 12-15- 

 seeded, and the absence of stipules separate the Indian plant. C. evolvuloides, 

 Wight (in Wall. Cat. 5410 ; Baker, loc. cit. 68), of like distribution with these 

 mentioned, may be regarded as an ally, but is altogether a more hairy plant. 



4. C. leptocarpa, Balf. fil. Tab. XIV, A. 



C. alubia, Balf. fil. in Proc. Koy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 508. 



Omnino strigulosa ramis tenuibus late patentibus ; foliis petiolatis palmatim trifoliolatis, 

 foliolis sessilibus lineari-lanceolatis et ad formas obovatas variantibus ; racemis elongatis 

 oppositifoliis paucifloris ; pedicellis capillaribus brevibus ; calycis lobis tubo quadruplo- 

 longioribus ; corolla longe exserta ; legumine oblongo submembranaceo venuloso pubes- 

 cente 12-spermo. 



Herba humilis caule lignoso parvo subterraneo. Rami subfiliformes copiosi internodiis longis 

 late patentes saepe 1^-pedales decumbentes strigulosi v. substrigosi. Folia palmatim 

 trifoliolata petiolata (petiolo \-\ poll, longo) basi villosa ; foliola (terminal! longissimo) 

 ssepius lineari-lanceolata acuminata et \-l^ poll, longa sed per intermedias ad formas 

 obovatas mucronatas \ poll, longas J poll, latas variantia, omnia sessilia v. subsessilia 

 strigosa. Stipulm minutae subulatae. Racemi elongati cum internodiis f-1 poll, longis 

 terminales et oppositifolii pauciflori ; bracteolae minutissimae ; pedicelli capillares J poll, 

 longi. Calyx \ poll, longus extus pilis adpressis brevibus sparsim vestitus, laciniis angustis 



