PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 135 



(3-5)-seriata imbricata lineari-acuminata carinata fere subtequalia paulum hirsuta et 

 glaudulis capitatis extus instructa, interiora marginibus soariosis, exteriora pauca paulum 

 breviora subherbacea ssepe oblongo-acuminata apiceque reflexa. Beccptaculum foveol- 

 atum 24—-^ P°U- diam. convexum. Radii flores eos disci triente excedentes, ligula 

 tubo longiore 3-4-denfcata. Antherce obtuste, caudis filiformibus conuatis. Styli lobi 

 subspatbulati obtusi extus papillosi. Achenia 7-8-costata pilis adsceudentibus instructa 

 subteretia. Pappus exterior coroniforrnis acuminato-fimbriatus, iuterioris setse 10 parum 

 sursum expansse scabridulo-serrulatse v. barbellatae. 



Socotra. Very common on the plains. B.C.S. nn. 119, 600. Schweinf. 

 n. 453. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



One of the commonest weeds on the island, and at the same time an 

 extremely variable plant, as its description makes evident. As in the case of so 

 many other plants, there is a form from dry stony localities, and one from 

 sheltered favourable localities, and between them we get gradations. The 

 plant in the former situations has a small compact habit, with lateral branches 

 often contracted, and leaves altogether smaller, thicker, deeply cut, and hirsute, 

 and with dense villous tufts around the buds in their axils. The stalks of the 

 capitula, too, are very short. Plants from suitable spots are more luxuriant, the 

 branches are longer and tend to trail, the leaves are thinner, more developed at 

 the margins, and less hairy, whilst the flower peduncles extend to a great length. 



The nearest ally of our plant is perhaps P. petiolaris, Jaub. et Spach (111. 

 PL Or. iv. 69, t. 344), a plant of Abyssinia and Nubia, and perhaps of Somali 

 Land. But the scabrid hairy clothing, the larger head, and the flowers of our 

 plant distinguish it. 



In Kew Herbarium are two specimens, one collected by Hildebrandt in 

 Somali Land (n. 1435), the other plant from the vicinity of Aden, sent by Hunter 

 (n. 122), which are probably one and the same species, and with which our plant 

 has much resemblance, — not quite amounting to identity, for the achenes in these 

 specimens are longer, narrower, and fewer ribbed, and the outer pappus forms 

 a shortly dentate cup, — but the habit and foliage are much alike. The Somali 

 Land and Arabian specimens are small and insufficient for complete com- 

 parison, but it is interesting to note the likeness. For whether our plant be 

 identical with these or not, there can be little doubt that a species so abun- 

 dant and widely scattered over the island as this is, will turn up on the 

 adjacent mainland when that is explored. 



2. P. stephanocarpa, Balf. fil. in Proc. Eoy. Soc. Edin. xi. (1882), 840. 

 Tab. XXXVIII. 

 Fructicosa tortuose ramosissima glaucescens ; foliis crassis velutinis spathulatis v. cochleari- 



formibus plus minusve 3-5-rotundato-lobatis persistentibus ; capitulis homogamis 



solitariis axillaribus breviter pedunculatis ; pbyllariis exterioribus gradatim minoribus ; 



antherarum caudis elongatis connatis simplicibus; acbeniis angulatis 10-costatis corona 



