PHANEROGAMS— PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 121 



1. VEKNONIA. 



Vemonia, Sclireb. Gen. PI. ii. 541 ; Beuth. et Hook. Gen. PL ii. 227. 



A vast genus of shrubby and herbaceous plants of very variable characters, 

 occurring in the tropics and warmer regions of both hemispheres. Most 

 abundant in Brazil. Three species are found in Socotra, of which one is 

 endemic, one is an east African and south-west Asian species, and the third 

 is a common African and Asian form, which reaches Australia. 



1. V. (Lepidella) Cockburniana, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xi. 

 (1882), 837. Tab. XXX. 



Fruticosa plus minus ve cauescens ramis soepe virgatis sed plurimis lateralibus abbreviates ; 

 foliis obovatis obtusis v. emarginatis integris remotis v. ad apices ramorum contractorum 

 fasciculatis ; capitulis majusculis 10-13-floris solitariis v. 2-3 in cymas ad apices ramorum 

 lateralium dispositis ; phyllariis multiseriatis obtusis ciliatis extus pubescentibus, interiori- 

 bu3 persistentibus ; acheniis 6-9-costatis intervallis sessili-glandulosis pilisque suffultis ; 

 pappo exteriore squamiformi brevi. 



Frutex in locis gratis 15-pedalis arete ramosus cum ramulis elongatis virgatis angulatis striatis 

 incauo-tomentosis subfulvis perplurimisque lateralibus abbreviatis rugosis, in locis aridis 

 nanus tortuoso-lignosus ramulisque omnibus deformibus approximatis. Folia in ramis 

 elongatis remota ad apices ramulorum contractorum fasciculata §— 1 poll, longa \— \ poll, 

 lata obovata obtusa ssepe emargiuata in petiolum brevem attenuata integra supra canesc- 

 entia subtus pallidiora sericeo-canescentia, petiolo £ poll, longo baseo incrassato 

 persistente ; iu forma e locis siccis folia sparsa multo minora. Alabastri fulvo pubesc- 

 entes. Capitula subcampanulata £— J poll. diam. 10-13-flora (pedicellis validis incanis 

 \-\ poll, longis), ad extremitates ramorum abbreviatorum solitaria v. in cymas parvas 

 2-3-capitatas disposita. Phyllaria multiseriata imbricato-appressa capitulis breviora 

 obtusa extus pubescentia margiuibus submembranaceis superne ciliatis, interiora persis- 

 tentia, intima lineari-oblonga \ poll, longa, exteriora gradatim miuora, extima minutissima 

 squamiformia. Beceptacula nuda. Corolla extus sessili-glandulosa. Antlierarum caudae 

 obtusoe. Achenia £ poll, longa angulata (6-9), prominenter 6-9-costata jugis glabris, 

 intervallis albido-glandulosis pilisque paucis tenuibus adscendentibus instructis. Pappus 

 duplex fulvus, exterior persistens brevis ^g poll, longus squamiformis, interior setiformis 

 barbatus persistens. 



Socotra. Not uncommon, both on the limestone and the granitic regions, 

 ascending to about 2000 feet. B.C.S. nn. 226, 266. Schweinf. nn. 513, 647, 

 770. 



Distrtb. Endemic. 



A very distinct species of the section Lepidella. Like so many other plants, 



its aspect on the granitic soil is very different from its appearance on the lime- 



1 stone; on the former, a handsome shrub or small tree, copiously leaved, and 



' with often long hanging branches ; on the latter, a scrubby dwarf not a foot 



Jliigh, with hard-wooded twisted stems, and branches bearing few and small 



eaves. One finds intermediate states. 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDJN. VOL. XXXI. Q 



