130 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



corves abruptly upwards, without, however, elongating to any extent. The lateral 

 branches thus end, as it were, in rosulate tufts of leaves. In the axils of some 

 of the leaves of these rosettes long leafy ascending virgate shoots develop, 

 each of which has at its extremity a cluster of capitula. Sometimes they, in 

 turn, become decumbent and produce rosulate leaf- tufts. The elongated portions 

 of the twigs are brown-black in this form under the indumentum, the leaves are 

 longer and narrower than in the type, and the globose clusters of capitula are 

 larger with smaller individual heads. Whilst the characters are hardly specific, 

 I think it is well to constitute this form a distinct variety. The following is a 

 diagnosis : — 



var. sarmentosum, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 839. 



Quasi-stoloniferuru raruis lateralibus teretibus glabrescentibus fusco-nigris decumbentibus, parte 

 terram tangente internodiis contractus abrupteque adscendente ramosque gerente in virgas 

 elongatas ultime floriferas productos ; foliis caulinis et basalibus ramorum adscendentium 

 approximatis, caeteris remotis, oblanceolatis v. longe obovato-spathulatis 1^-2 poll, longis 

 longe petiolatis basi subamplexicaulibus ; capitulis 50-60 in cymis f poll. diam. aggregatis 

 15-20-floris I poll, longis ; phyllariis 2-3-seriatis, interioribus \ poll, longis floribus 

 brevioribus, in parte quarta superiore niveo-petaloideis, exterioribus late ovato-acutis. 



Socotra. In dry localities. B.C.S. n. 691. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



3. H. arachnoides, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 839. 



Annuum parvulum ramosurn pins minusve aracbnoideo-lanatum ; foliis remotis ellipticis, interi- 

 oribus petiolatis, superioribus subsessilibus ; capitulis parvis 8-12-floris campanulatis 

 brevissime pedicellatis 7-8 in cymas terminales (rarius axillares) congestas glomeratis ; 

 phyllariis biseriatis, interioribus ad apicem niveis post anthesin patentibus ; receptaculo 

 nudo ; acheniis scabriusculis. 



Annuum 6-7-pedale lanatum radice exili simplici caulibusque e collo plurimis diffusis pauci- 

 ramosis basi glabrescentibus apice arachnoideo-lanatis. Folia remota elliptica obtusa 

 saepe mucronulata margine leviter crenato-sinuata membranacea plus minusve arachn- 

 oidea subtus pallidiora, inferiora f— 1 poll, longa ^ poll, lata basi gradatim in petiolum 

 longum sa3pe laminae eequilongum attenuata, superiora breviora subsessilia basi contracta. 

 Capitula homogama parva 1£ lin. longa campanulata 8-12-tlora 7-8 in cymam parvam 

 congestam \ poll. diam. terminalem (nonnunquam 2-3 in axillarem) glomerata brevissime 

 pedicellata, pedicellis ^ poll, longis dense lanatis quoque folium singulum sessile sub 

 capitulo gerente. Involucrum, obligophyllum floribus loogior phyllariis 2-seriatis, exteri- 

 oribus brevioribus late ovatis acutis scariosis, interioribus linearibus v. apice expausis et per 

 partem trientem petaloideis niveis post anthesin patentibus, parte inferna straminea margini- 

 busque scariosis, omnibus plus minusve lanatis. Beceptaadum nudum. Achenia ellip- 

 tica v. oblonga teretia scabriuscula. Pappi setae apicaliter dilatatae barbellatae. 



Socotra. On the hills south-west from Galonsir. B.C.S. n. 197. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A small herb, not uncommon in tufts along with II. gracilipes, O. and H., 



