PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 177 



ente-tomenfcosus, sub fructu auctus cupulseformis ^ poll. diam. extusque glaber. Corolla 

 infundibularis 4-partita omnino glabra, tubo ^ poll, loogo, limbi lobis oblongis v. obcuneatis 

 obtusis reflexis tubo sequalibus. Stamina exserta, filameatis corollse limbo multibreviori- 

 bus. Fructus aurantiacus ovoideus glaber f poll, lougus 1-3-locularis putaruine tetragono 

 extus rugoso. Testa papyracea. 



Nom Vern. Abeteh. 



Socotra. A common tree. B.C.S. nn. 277, 427. Schweinf. nn. 379,407 

 in lit. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A distinct species in the section Mi/xa of this genus, but very closely allied 

 to C. crenata, Del. (Fl. iEgypt. 51. t. 20. f. i.), a plant described as 

 cultivated near Cairo, and of which the native country is unknown, though 

 Boissier (Flor. Orient, iv. 124) remarks in a note to his description of C. Myxa, 

 Linn., that Defile's plant is probably a native of the region about Mascate. From 

 this species our Socotran plant differs in the pubescent buds and slightly hispid 

 young leaves, the smaller and more compact cymes, the densely pubescent 

 calyx in flower, and the glabrous corolla, besides having shorter stamens and 

 a larger fruit. In general appearance there is, however, considerable 

 similarity. 



With C. ovalis, Hochst. (in herb. Schimp. Abyss, sect. ii. n. 1218), — to which 

 C. ovalis, E. Br. (in Salt Abyss, app.), is probably correctly referred by De 

 Candolle (Prod. ix. 479), though Ach. Richard (Tent. Flor. Abyss, ii. 82) is 

 undoubtedly wrong in taking this plant to be C. Myxa, Linn., — there are many 

 points of resemblance in the Socotran specimens, but the Abyssinian species? 

 is more scabrid, and by other technical characters is easily distinguished. 



On Socotra the tree is very common, and its fruit is one of the few edible 

 ones on the island. 



2. C. obtusa, Balf. fii. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 80. 



Arborea; foliis petiolatis ellipticis v. elliptico-obovatis obtusis v. late acntis integris glabris 

 siccitate nigricantibus ; cyrais pseudo-axillaribus paucifloris ; pedicellis validis brevibus ; 

 calyce sub fructu cupulaeformi glabro ; drupa ovoidea aurantiaca 1-loculari. 



Arbor parva, cortice griseo, fere omnino glabra simpliciter ramosa, ramulis ultimis striatis. 

 Folia petiolata elliptica v. elliptico-obovata obtusa v. late acuta integra v. apice obscure 

 crenata basi sequilateralia ssepe subcuneata coriacea siccitate nigricantia If— 2^- poll, 

 longa f-1 poll, lata, petiolo concolore \- § poll, longo canaliculato. Gemmae pubescentes. 

 Cymae pseudo-axillares pauciflorae, rbacbi primaria petiolo breviore ; pedicelli sub fructu 



validi breves. Flores ignoti Calyx sub fructu cupubeformis trilobatus | poll. 



diam. glaber coriaceus. Drupa f poll, longa ovoidea abortu 1-locularis. • 



Socotra. On the hills near Galonsir. B.C.S. n. 325. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



I have described this species on some fragmentary specimens which I have 

 not been able to identify with a described form. It resembles somewhat the 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN. VOL. XXXI. Z 



