'21 2 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



2. B. spiculifolia, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 85. Tab. LXVI. 



Fruticosa nana ramnlis lateralibur, contractus ; foliis rigidis oblanceolatis v. sublinearibus rarius 

 subbastatis spinosis ; floribus solitariis terminalibus ; bracteolis calyce brevioribus ; calycis 

 lobis integris. 



Frutex nanus prostratus rigidus lignosua intricato-raniosus cortice griseo sublepidoto, caulu 

 valido ramisque elongatis superne marcescentibus inferne ramulos contractos laterales 

 plures gerentibus. Folia vix petiolata, ad ramos elougafcos 4-verticellata 2 oppositis 

 minoribus, ad contractos confertim in lineas 4 spirales dextrorsum versas evoluta, parva 

 |— | poll, longa j^ poll, lata oblanceolata v. linearia versus extremitates ambos attenuata 

 apiceque subulata spiculata baud raro subbastata basi longe attenuata cum raargine 

 utroque in spiculum suboppositum producto nitida nervo medio dorsaliter prominulo 

 venulis longitudinaliter striata viridia pubibus albis brevissimis capitatis obscure 

 puberula nervoque medio supra substriguloso. Flores ad apices ramulorum contractorum 

 solitarii sessiles. Bracteolce acerosad spiculosaa puberulse \ poll, longa?. Calyx 4 partitus, 

 segmentis rigidis cuspidato-spiculatis obscure puberulis margine membranaceis, latioribus 

 subrequalibus longe ovatis § poll, longis integris lateralibus oblongis \ poll, longis. 

 Corolla flava, tubo I poll, longo dorsaliter truncato fauce constricta et annulo villoso 

 cincta, limbo ^ P°H- longo venuloso extus glabro intus breviter villoso panno glabro 

 centrali excepto. Stamina exserta, filamentis supra annulum corollas affixis validis pilosis. 

 Ovarium glabrum disco parvulo cupulaeformi cinctum ; stylus ^ poll, longus bidentatus. 

 Capsula ovoidea compressa glabra nitida } poll, longa. Semiva obliqua oblonga hirta J poll, 

 longa. 



Socotra. On the plains near Tamarida. B.C.S. n. 183. Schweinf. n. 442. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A peculiar and very distinct species, differing slightly from the generic type 

 in the anterior and posterior calyx lobes, which are entire and not toothed, and 

 in the presence of a villous ring around the throat of the corolla tube, but 

 undoubtedly referable to this genus. 



Its foliage is remarkable. Each leaf is a small rigid sharply-pointed dart, 

 sometimes taking on a halbert shape, with a spicule developed on each margin. 

 The leaves are easily detached, and the plant is therefore a most objectionable 

 one in the scrub. 



3. BARLERIA. 



Barleria, Linn. Gen. n. 785 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. ii. 1091. 



A considerable genus of often prickly herbs and shrubs, chiefly tropical 

 Asiatic and tropical and south African. A few are natives of the tropics of the 

 new world. In Socotra we find three endemic species. 



1. B. aculeata, Balf. fil. in Proc. Eoy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 85. Tab. LXVII. 



Fruticosa non-spinosa fere glabra ; foliis petiolatis obovatis v. subellipticis coriaceis aculeatis ; 



floribus axillaribus solitariis; bracteolis calyce brevioribus ; staminibus 2 ; staminodiis 3; 



capsula obovoidea basi vix contracta 4-sperina. 

 Frutex parvus 4-G-pedalis rigidus lignosus. Folia opposita breviter petiolata persistentia 



obovata basi cuneata v. subelliptica v. subrotundata apice cuspidato-aculeata margine in- 



