168 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



scepe mucronata basi gradatim attenuata margiae integra late revoluta scepe subsinuata 

 coriacea opaca supra glabra subtus canescentia pennivenia nervo medio supra impresso 

 subtus prominente veuis immersis ; petiolus £-£ poll, longus. Cymce axillares subsessiles 

 multiflorre foliis breviores. Florcs brevissime pedicellati v. subsessiles, pedicellis ferrugineo- 

 tomentosis. Calyx glandulosus ^ poll, longus, segmentis obovatis margine merubranaceis 

 ciliatis dorso ferrugineo-tomentosis. Corolla extus glabra carapanulata ad medium 5-fida, 

 tubo intus lineis lunatis villosis limbi lobis alternantibus instructo, lobis limbi longe 

 ovatis obtusis sinistrorsum obtegentibus. Coronce squamse staminibus basi adnatae et inter 

 se in parte triente inferiore connatae superne liberse lineares obtusse tubo staminum 

 sequilongse et adpressae. Antherce cristatae. Ovarii carpella 2 distincta semi-immersa ; 

 stylus inferne crassus, stigmate capitato mutico spongioso obscure bilobato ; ovula multi- 

 seriata. Folliculi divaricati lineares teretes minute pubescentes 2^—3 poll, lougi. Semina 

 linearia v. oblanceolata \ poll, longa. 



Soeotra. On the Haghier range and also near Dimux, at an altitude 

 over 1000 feet. B.C.S. n. 179. Schweinf. n. 739. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



In most of the species of this genus the corolla lobes are clextrorsely 

 imbricate, but in the Mascarene and Madagascar forms they are sinistrorse, and 

 these southern Indian Ocean forms have also an almost sessile inflorescence, 

 with the flowers closely aggregated, whilst in other members of the genus this 

 is laxly branched. The Socotran plant is of interest in possessing features 

 in these respects the same as the Mascarene and Madagascar species. With 

 some forms from these islands it is very closely allied. Habit and foliage 

 almost unite it with S. obovata, Dene, (in DC. Prod. viii. 503), but that has an 

 elongated apiculate style. Amongst forms with muticous styles S. Thouarsii, 

 Dene. (loc. cit. 502) apparently comes very near it, but I have not seen this 

 species, and the short description given in the Prodromus leaves it difficult to 

 identify ; it is said to be glabrous, and to have the corolla tube slightly hairy 

 at the base and apex, — characters not visible in our plant. 



On Soeotra our plant is by no means rare. 



5. GLOSSONEMA. 



Glossonema, Dene, in Ann. Sc. Nat. se>. 2, ix. (1838), 335, t. 12, f. D, and in DC. Prod. viii. 

 554 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. ii. 748. 



A genus of six or seven species, natives of Arabia and tropical Africa, one 

 species occurring in extratropical south Africa. 



G. Revoili, Franch. Sert. Somal. in Miss. Revoil 40. t. 3. 



Ad descriptionem Francbet adde — Folliculi 2^-pollicares lati fusiformes appresse spinescentes, 

 spinis I poll, longis uncinatis. Semina stipitata superne orbicularia £ poll. diam. margine 

 dentata. 

 Soeotra. Galonsir and Hadibu plains and elsewhere. Not uncommon. 



B.C.S. 87. Schweinf. nn. 260, 315. 



