112 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



dry plain plants, — shortened lateral branches with clustered leaves, hard some- 

 what brittle wood, and leaves more fleshy. The pedicels, too, are here longer 

 than in the hill form. 



2. PLACOPODA. 

 Placopoda, Balf. til. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Ecliu. xi. (1882), 835. 



Calycis tubus parvus, obconicus ; limbi lobi 4, breves, acuti, asquales, persistentes, dentibus 

 minutis fere obsoletis interjectis. Corolla tubulosa, tubo brevi intus piloso ; limbi lobi 4, 

 breves, triangulares, valvati. Stamina 4, infra faucem corollas inserta, filameutis brevibus 

 subulatis ; antheroe inclusas, dorso affixse, lineari-oblongoe, utrinque obtusse. Discus 

 tumidus, crenatus, glaber. Ovarium 2-locidare ; stylus filiformis, exsertus, ramis 2 uudique 

 papillosis ; ovula in loculis pauca 2-3, in apice placentas carnosae colunmaris a basi loculi 

 adscendentis sessilia. Fructus corneus, indebiscens (?) compresso-campanulatus, parum 

 bialatus, lateribus trinerviis nervis elevatis, 24ocularis, loculis 1-spermis. Semiua vertic- 

 alia, oblonga, obtusa, cylindracea, testa minute corrugata, albumine carnoso ; cotyledones 

 angustaa ; radicula teres. — Suffrutices ramosi, ramulis 4-gonis, pubescentes proventu glabri. 

 Folia parva, petiolata, subcrassa, elliptico-oblonga, in ramulis brevissimis verticillatis fas- 

 ciculata. Stipulse minutissimae. Flores in cymas umbellatas simplices terminales dispositi. 



A most interesting genus is this monotypic one, and the more so from the 

 great development in Socotra of Dirichletia, with which it is very intimately 

 connected. Like that genus it differs from all other Hedyotidea? in the mode 

 of attachment of the ovule. The placenta forming a stout support rising from 

 the base of the ovarian loculus, on the summit of which is seated the ovule. 

 From Dirichletia its fruits at once distinguish it, for we do not find the 

 persistent calycine wing so characteristic of the genus ; but we have here a 

 (possibly indehiscent) small compressed ribbed fruit, on the top of which the 

 small calyx lobes are visible. 



Etym. 7r\a£, anything flat or broad, and ttovs, foot. 



1. P. vigata, Balf. fil., loc cit. Tab. XXVIII. 



Suffruticosa virigata ramulis rectis divaricatis ; foliis plurimis fasciculatis ellipticis v. obovatis 

 petiolatis. 



Sufi'rutex parvus ramis ultimis elongatis rectis laterales ramulos plurimos gerentibus cum 

 foliis pluribus ad apices fasciculatis. Folia breviter petiolata 8-12 in quoque fasciculo 

 elliptica v. oblongo-elliptica v. obovata acuta v. obtusa et apiculata \— \ poll, longa ^ poll, 

 lata (petiolo^g poll, longo) margine revoluta, glabra coriacea Flores inter folia fasciculati 

 ad apices ramulorum lateralium ; pedicelli capillares -^-\ poll, longi. Calycis lobi ovati 

 subacuti ■£% poll, longi glabri. Corollce tubus £ poll, longus. F'ructus \ poll, longus 

 \ poll, latus glaber nitidus. 



Nom. Vern. Difeth (Schweinf). 



Socotra. Abundant on the plains. B.C.S. n. 25. Schweinf. n. 476. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



A very distinct plant, and characteristic of the plains ; especially abundant 

 on lladibu plain. 



