PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 249 



latter being a most important character as Mr Bentham mentions (Benth. et 

 Hook. Gen. PL ii. 1132), by which genera of Boraginese may be easily 

 separated from Verbenacese, as it occurs only in very few of the latter family, 

 — and in Verbenacese we do not find plants with the habit shown by our 

 genus. Some few genera in the family, it is true, are of prostrate and woody 

 habit, and bear imbricated leaves, but they want the indumentum so character- 

 istic of our plant, which is that of the Boraginese. 



Loganiacese have a number of characters with which our plant agrees, but 

 the copious albumen and small embryo, and the opposite leaves, do not admit 

 of our associating the genus with it. 



Convolvulacese cannot include the genus on account of its pendulous ovules 

 and superior radicle, and from Scrophularinese the very regular flowers, the 

 lateral carpels, and the solitary seed seem to exclude it. 



The free septum embracing the seed recalls the retinaculum of Acanthacese, 

 but is of quite a different nature, and there is no near relation with this family. 



Of all the Bicarpellate families, Boraginese and Verbenacese are the two 

 with which our plant appears to have most affinity. And whilst the weight of 

 Mr Bentham's opinion is in favour of the latter, yet, especially on account of 

 the habit, indumentum, and foliage, I am inclined to consider the family with 

 which our plant has closest affinity, and with which it may be hereafter joined, 

 to be Boraginese. 



Etym. The name is in honour of Lieut. Wellsted, who explored the island 

 of Socotra for the Indian Government in 1834, and who published the first good 

 account of the island (see Journ. Roy. Geog. Soc. v. (1835), 129). 



W. socotrana, Balf. fil. loc. tit. Tab. LXXXII, A. 



Lignosa canescens multiramosa ramulis brevissimis tortuosis eb congestis inferne foliis 

 marcidis vestitis. Folia \—^ poll, longa \ poll, lata basi late inserta imbricata subsecunda 

 persistentia crassiuscula iuduplicata dense pilis albidis rigidis adpressis vestita. Ccdycis 

 lobi j 1 ^ poll, longi a basi angustati. Corollcc tubus ^ poll, longus, lobi ^ poll, longi. 

 Capsula £ poll, diam., valvis intus glabris nitidis. Semina superne truncata inferne 

 acuta, testa circutn radiculam incrassata atriore glabra obscure foveolata inferne pilis 

 sursum versis vestita. 



Socotra. B.C.S. n. 569. Hunter. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



A small dwarf plant, very like a Heliotrope or stunted Scrophularineous 

 species. 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN. VOL. XXXI. 2 I 



