152 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



M. africana, Linn. Sp. 285; Alpli. DC. Prod. viii. 93; Baker in Oliv. Flor. 

 Trop. Afr. iii. 493 ; Boiss. Flor. Orient, iv. 31 ; Clarke in Hook. Flor. Brit. Ind. 

 iii. 511 ; Lamk. Illustr. ii. 49, t. 122. 



Socotra. A shrub of the Haghier hills. B.C.S. n. 589. 



Distkib. Himalayan region and Afghanistan, and in tropical Africa, at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and in the Azores. 



Our Socotran specimens of this species are from much larger leaved plants 

 than any of the African specimens in Kew Herbarium. Some Cape forms ap- 

 proach them in size. They are of the broad type found in the African plants, 

 differing from the narroAv-leaved condition characteristic of Indian specimens. 



Order XLI. SAPOTACE^]. 



A considerable order of trees or shrubs, occurring in the tropics of both hemi- 

 spheres. 



SIDEROXYLON. 



Sideroxylon, Linn. Gen. n. 264 ; Bentb. et Hook. Gen. PI. ii. 655. 



A considerable tropical genus, but reaching in extratropical regions to 

 Madeira, the Cape, and New Zealand. 



S. fimbriatum, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 76. 



Arboreurn glabrescens ramis rugosis ; foliis petiolatis exstipulatis ellipticis v. oblongo-ellipticis 

 v. obovatis obtusis basi subcuneatis subtus pallidis ; fasciculis sessilibus ; pedicellis 

 brevibus validis ; calycis lobis suborbioularibus ; corolla calyce lougiore ; staminum filain- 

 entis glabris ; staminodeis petaloideis obovatis fimbriatis ; fructu rostrato. 



Arbor glabrescens ramis validis rugosis lenticellis verrucosis, juvenilibus fusco-tomentosis 

 Folia petiolata exstipulata elliptica v. oblongo-elliptica v. a medio versus basim angustata et 

 subobovata apice obtusa v. late rotundata uonnunquam emarginata rarius late acuta basi 

 plus minusve cuneata plerumque imequilateralia 2£-3 poll, longa 1-1£ poll, lata coriacea 

 integra margine subuudulata revoluta, juvenilia fusco-pubescentia, altiora omuino glabra 

 pennivenia venis immersis supra nigro-viridia subtus pallidiora. Fasciculi sessiles 6-10- 

 flori ; pedicelli validi \ poll, longi fusco-puberuli, fructiferi corrugati glabri. Flores parvi. 

 Calycis lobi -fa poll, longi suborbiculares late inserti, 3 exteriores irnbricati subcarinati 

 extus puberuli, 2 interiores valvati tenuiores oppositi. Corolla alte 5-iida, segmentis latis 

 subrotundatis tubo multo majoribus £ poll, longis extus glabris. Stamina corollae aequi- 

 longa, filamentis subulatis glabris; antherse ovato-acutai basi sagittate extrorsse dorso-affixse. 

 Staminodia corollas aequilonga petaloidea obovata v. subobcuneata venulo medio iucrassato 

 parte superiore subtrapeziformi eroso-limbriata. Ovarium adpresse pilosum ; stylus corolla; 

 vix a^quilongus validus. Fructus ovoideus * poll, longus nitidus glaber fulvus stylo 

 persistente rostratus. 



Socotra. In the valley opening upon Kadhab plain. Not abundant. 

 B.C.S. n. 339. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



