PHANEROGAMS — PRFOESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 163 



1. E. volubilis, Balf. fil. in Proc. Koy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 78. Tab. 

 XL VII. 



Fruticosa volubilis; foliis diversis ab forma lineari ad obovatam variantibus subsessilibus 

 saepe fasciculatis; cymis pedunculatis ; floribus breviter pedicellatis. 



Frutex volubilis ramis elongatis verrucosis glabris nodis tumidis internodiis elongatis, later- 

 alibus ssepe coutractis cicatricosis. Folia opposita sessilia v. subsessilia ad ramos con- 

 tractos rosulato-fasciculata magnitudine formaque variantia, nunc linearia 4 poll, longa 

 \ poll, lata, nunc oblanceolata v. anguste obovata 1 poll, longa ^ poll, lata formasque 

 intermedias exhibentia, apice in foliis angustis apiculata v. cuspidata, in latioribus 

 plerumque obtusa emarginata et niucronata, margine integra subrevoluta supra nitida 

 subtus opaca subglauca venulosa. Cymce pedunculatse axillares pauciflorse rbachi \ poll, 

 longa valida breviter puberula ; bracteolae ovatse margine niembranaceo-ciliatse ; pedicelli 

 ^2 poll, longi. Calyx -^ poll, longus basi intus 5-glandulosus, segmentis ovatis acutis 

 subcarinatis. Corolla flavescente-alba \ poll, longa, tubo brevi, lobis angustis obtusis. 

 Corona; squamae ad orem corollini tubi attingentes clavatae medio tubi affixae. Anthera 

 glabrae acutae, corpusculorum appendicibus oblanceolatis tenuissimis. Stigma pileiforme 

 umbonatum obscure 2-lobatum. Folliculi divaricati 1£ poll, longi crassiusculi acuti 

 striati. Semina comosa £ poll, longa. 



Nom. Vern. Ekkehin (Schweinf). 



Soeotra. Common. B.C.S. nn. 259, 696. Schweinf. nn. 472, 667. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



This and the following species are interesting Asclepiads, taking their 

 position in this genus more naturally than in any other amongst the Peri- 

 plocew. From the type, however, they differ in having longer corona scales, and 

 the dilated extremity of the scale tapers upwards to a point, reaching quite to 

 the mouth of the corolla tube. With the south African Curroria they have a 

 near affinity, but the form of the corpuscular appendages exclude them from it. 



This species is unique in the genus, on account of its twining habit. All 

 the others are erect shrubs. 



It is very common on both limestone and granitoid regions of the island, 

 and exhibits a strongly marked heterophylly, the leaves passing from very 

 narrow long and linear forms, as in most of n. 259, through narrowly lanceo- 

 late or oblanceolate shapes, as in many of Schweinfurth's specimens, until we 

 find, as in our n. 696, leaves short and distinctly obovate, three or four times as 

 broad as the linear ones. 



2. E. brevifolia, Balf. fil. in Proc. Eoy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 78. 



Fruticosa rigida erecta foliis sparsis brevibus sessilibus ssepe fasciculatis oblongis v. obovatis 

 obtusis emarginatis mucronatis v. apiculatis ; cymis sessilibus ; floribus brevissime pedic- 

 ellatis. 



Frutex lignosus ramis rigidis verrucosis glabris ssepe ad apicem marcidis et subspinosis laterales 

 ramulos contractos gerentibus. Folia sessilia v. subsessilia sparsa ad ramulos contractos 

 fasciculata oblonga v. oblongo-elliptica v. obovata v. oblanceolata basi angustata ^-§ poll. 



