80 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



Nom. Vern. Hamerhamere. 



Socotra. Not uncommon on the plains and on the hill slopes at low 

 altitudes. B.C.S. nn. 80, 98, 293, 485. Schweinf. nn. 375, 498. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A small shrub with beautifully coloured flowers. Its habit varies much 

 with locality. On the limestone plains it forms a woody shrub bearing few very 

 small leaves and short branches with a tendency to become spinose. Whilst 

 in more favourable situations on the better soil of the hill slopes, it has long 

 delicate less woody branches. A very curious feature in the plant is the 

 coloured patch on the under surface of the leaves. This is spread over an area 

 exactly similar to the extension on the upper surface of a median ridge which 

 tapers off into the midrib near the apex of the leaf. 



It is quite a distinct species. Probably its nearest ally is 0. Kirkii, S. 

 Moore (in Trim. Journ. Bot, N. S. vi. (1877), 290), a plant collected in Somali 

 Land by Kirk and at Zanzibar by Hildebrandt ; but it is a subaculeate form, 

 and wants the coloration on the under surface of the leaf. 



12. ARTHROCARPUM. 



Arthrocarpum., Balf. fil. in Proc. Hoy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 510. 



Calycis decidui tubus brevis, interne angustus subcylindricus, supra ovarium connivens, lobi in 

 labia 2 sequilongia dispositi, superior 4-dentatus latior, inferior integer angustior. Corolla 

 basi calycem adboerens ; vexillum orbiculatum, unguiculatum ; ake obliquiter oblongte, 

 transverse plicatse ; carina angusta, incurva, obtusa, alas subaequans, petalis vix cobterenti- 

 bus. • Stamina omnia in vaginam supra fissam connata, calycem adbserentia, filamentis non 

 dilatatis ; autberee uniformes. Ovarium sessile, co -ovulatum, in tubo calycis inclusum; 

 stylus filiformis, longissimus, leviter curvatus, stigmate minuto terminali. Legumen 

 compressum, sericeo-pubescens, inter semina constrictum, articulis subellipticis utrinque 

 alatis et bi-trinervoso-angulatis lignosis, endocarpio spongioso. Semina anguste obovoidea, 

 stropbiolata. — Arbor parva. Folia imparipinnata foliolis paucis exstipellatis. Stipube 

 persistentes. Flores flavi axillares, solitarii v. rarius cymosim biui. Involucrum 4-bracteo- 

 latum, persistens. 



A new monotypic and endemic genus of the Iledysarece. It has all the 

 characteristics of the sub-tribe JEscliynomeneaz, and in general facies as well as 

 in many technical characters closely resembles the group of American genera 

 including Ckcetocalyx, Nixsolia, &c. With the foregoing genus, Ormocarpum, 

 it has also very strong affinities. From all the genera in the sub-tribe, 

 however, it is distinguished by the very remarkable character of the calyx. 

 The base of this is cylindrical, and forms a tube in which is included the ovary, 

 and at the base of the style the tube is slightly constricted, again expanding 

 upwards. Up to the top of the basal part of the tube the corolla and stamens 

 are completely adherent to the calyx, and for a short distance above the con- 

 stricted throat the corolla and stamens adhere. The whole appearance is thus 



