PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAY LEY BALFOUR. 239 



3. PLECTRANTHUS. 



Plectranthus, L'Her. Stirp. Nov. 85, tt. 41, 42 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. ii. 1175. 



A large old world tropical genus represented also in the Pacific islands. 



Plectranthus sp. 



Nom. Vekn. Safahra (B.C.S.). 



Socotra. Abundant on the limestone plateaux above 1500 feet elevation. 

 B.C.S. nn. 306, 645. Schweinf. n. 738. 



A plant from Socotra may be a species of this genus. Schweinfurth sends 

 specimens from plants grown by him at Cairo, and these he labels Coleus sp. 

 But as we have no flowers nor fruit it is not possible to decide the point. 



Amongst Plectranthi, its affinity is with forms like P. Forskalei, Vahl 

 (Symb. i. 44). If it be a species of Coleus, then it will come near C. arabkus, 

 Benth. (in herb. Mus. Par. and in DC. Prod. xii. 79). 



It is a very strongly odorous species. 



4. LAVANDULA. 



Lavandula, Linn. Gen. n. 711 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. ii. 1179. 



A considerable genus of scented herbs or shrubs having its headquarters in 

 the Mediterranean region, but extending westwards to the Canary Islands, and 

 eastwards to India. 



L. Nimmoi, Benth. in DC. Prod. xii. 148. 



Herba caule patentim villosulo ; foliis pinnafcisectis segmentis oblongis obovatisve inciso- 

 dentatis pinnatifidisque utriuque viridibus parce hirsutis ; spicis gracilibus ; foliis floralibus 

 lanceolatis acutissime acuminatis calyces villosulos aequantibus ; fioribus solitariis 

 alternis. 



Perennis effuse ramosa 1-2-pedalis. Folia varie pinnatisecta et pubescentia interdum fere L. 

 multifidai similia sed longius petiolata lobis latioribus. Spicai 1-3-pollicares. Calyx 

 viridis ^ poll, longus, dentibus lanceolatis acutissimis. Corolla calyce duplolongior. 



Socotra. Abundant both on the plains and on the hills. B.C.S. nn. 

 486, 507, 689. Schweinf. nn. 220 in lit., 361, 657. Hunter n. 4. Nimmo. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



This species was described by Bentham, from Nimmo's specimens now in 

 Kew Herbarium, in DC. Candolle's Prodromus, and is there referred to the 

 shores of the Red Sea. But it is undoubtedly one of the plants got by Nimmo 

 from Socotra. 



In habit it closely resembles the Aden L. seti/era, T. Anders, (in Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. v. (1860), Suppl. 29), but it wants the setaceous bracts. 



In Socotra the form of the plant from the dry plains is a much branched 

 diffuse herb with few inconspicuous, small (often a half-inch long) leaves vary- 

 ing much in pubescence, sometimes becoming almost glabrous. The bracts are 



