270 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



Wellsted (in Jonrn. Roy. Geog. Soc. v. (1835), 200) testifies to the hardness of 



the wood. He says, " the wood of a tree named Metayne or Malarah, which 



abounds in every part of the island, is so hard that our seamen used it for the 



same purposes as lignum vita? is applied to, such as sheaves for blocks, splicing 



fids, &c." 



3. PHYLLANTHUS. 



Phyllanthus, Linn. Gen. n. 1050 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 272. 



A very large genus widely dispersed in the warmer regions of the globe. 



Of the three Socotran species one is endemic and the others are tropical African 



and south Asiatic. 



1. P. (Paraphyllanthus) maderaspatensis, Linn. Sp. 1393 ; Mull. Arg. 

 in DC. Prod. xv. 2, 362. 



P. venosus, Hochst. in herb. Scliimp. Abyss, sect. ii. 814 ; Acb. Eicb. Tent. Flor. Abyss, ii. 254. 

 P. madi'aspatensis, var., Wight Ic. t. 1895, f. 3. 

 P. TJwnningii, Schum. Beschr. PI. Guin. 418. 



Socotra. Common near Galonsir. B.C.S. n. 138. Schweinf. n. 715. 

 Distrib. From Cape de Verde islands through tropical and south Africa 

 to the Indian Archipelago and Australia. 



2. P. rotundifolius, Willd. Sp. iv. 584 ; Mull. Arg. in DC. Prod. xv. 2, 405; 

 Boiss. Flor. Orient, iv. 1139, 



var. leucocalyx, Mull. Arg. loc. cit. 



P. Niruri, Ach. Bich. Tent. Flor. Abyss. 255 (non. Linn.). 



Socotra. Near Galonsir. B.C.S. n. 636. 



Distrib. Of the species, — through tropical Africa, south-west Asia, and 

 India. The variety is tropical African. 



3. P. filipes, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc Edin. xii. (1883), 94. 



Sutfruticosus ramis distichophyllis florigeris angulatis apicalibus ; foliis oblongis, stipulis 

 scariosis basi nonproductis ; floribus monoicis paucis fasciculatis ; staminibus 5, filamentis 

 ad medium connatis, antherarum loculis contiguis ; stylis 6 ; capsulis glabris trisulcatis 

 longe filiformiter pedicellatis ; seminibus scrobiculatis. 



Suffrutex parvus vix pedalis ramulis ru6s ultimis florigeris angulatis v. obscure alatis erectis 

 glabris angulisque scabridis internodiis distinctis distichophyllis. Folia oblonga v. 

 elliptico-oblonga ^-§ poll, longa \-\ poll, lata breviter petiolata (petiolo \ poll, longo) 

 apice mucronulata basi obtusa margine crenato-undulata glabra pennivenia. Stipuloe 

 scariospe ovato-lanceolatae acuminatse membranaceaj margine lacerse basi non products £ 

 poll, longae rufaj. Flores monoici in axillis fasciculati mares 2-3 foeminei plerumque 1 in 

 fasciculo quoque ; bracteae ovatse fimbriatse. Fl. & breviter pedicellati (pedicello ^ poll, 

 longo). Periantliii segmenta 5 ^ poll, longa late elliptica v. subrotundata nervo medio 

 herbaceo margine scariosa. Stamina 5, filamentis in columnam ad medium connatis supra 

 liberie patentibus ; antherarum loculi contigui. Discus urceolatus crenatus. Fl. ? 

 pedicello ^ poll, longo sub fructu § poll, longo stricto capillari. Perianthium apertum 



