274 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



Socotra. In many places on the hill slopes. B.C.S. nn. 298, 318; 640. 

 Schweinf. nn. 517, 666. 



Disteib. Endemic. 



A distinct species of the section Eluteria. The dioecism is one of its marked 

 features, as this is not a common character in old world forms. The fruits, 

 too, are remarkable on account of their thick clothing of bristles, each of which 

 is topped by a pencil of radiating hairs. 



As it occurs on the island it presents some variation. Some specimens (our 

 n. 640, Schweinf. nn. 571, 666) belong to a large-leaved plant with their under 

 surface densely scaly and silvery. On the other hand, our n. 298, and many 

 portions of n. 318, show a much smaller-leaved form scarcely silvery under- 

 neath, though there are many stellate hairs. Although we have not female 

 plants of all the specimens, yet I have little doubt of their conspecific nature. 



2. C. (Eluteria) sulcifructus, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 

 94. Tab. XCII. 



Fruticosus ; foliis ovatis penniveniis petiolatis lamina basi patellari-glandulosa subtusargenteo- 

 lepidota ; stipulis subulatis ; glomerulis florium in spicas dispositis ; fl. J supremis sub- 

 sessilibus, staminibus sub 20 ; fl. $ paucioribus basalibus pedicellatis, stylo bis bifid©, 

 capsula G-sulcata lepidota lepidibus planis, seminibus levibus. 

 Frutex 10-pedalis cortice lenticellato rugoso subsuberoso. Folia 2^-4 poll, longa 1-1| 

 poll, lata petiolata ovata acuta v. oblongo-elliptica obtusa basi plerumque rotundata saepe 

 subcordata v. late obtusa margine paulum undulata coriacea pennivenia nervo medio et 

 venis primariis subtus prominentibus, pagina superiore canescente lepidibus minutissimis 

 rotundatis centra rubris margine fimbriatis instructa, inferiore argentea dense lepidota 

 lepidibus uniformibus centra subflaveis rarius paucis majoribus rufis suffulta; petiolus 

 |— 1 poll, longus angulatus canaliculatus uniformiter lepidotus sub lamina biglandulosus 

 glandulis fulvis concavis stipitatis. Stipulai subulatae crassae. Florcs in glomerulos sessiles 

 ad ramos lepidotos validos angulatos axillares spicatim dispositi, floribus in quoque 

 glomerulo 3-4 sessilibus v. brevissime pedicellatis ; bracteolae minutae subulata3. Fl. & 

 plurimi in parte superiore spicarum aggregati. Alabastri globosi. Calyx 5-lobatus, lobis 

 sequalibus ovatis acutis imbricatis corolla brevioribus. Corollce lobi £ poll, longi late 

 elliptici extus pubescentes intus basi villosi margine ciliato-villosi. Stamina sub 20, fila- 

 mentis validis glanduliferis ; autherae antice tuberculatse. Disci lobi rotundati con- 

 spicui. Beceptaculum villosum. Fl. ? pauci ad basin spicarum dispositi. Calyx 

 5-lobatus, lobis ovatis intus sparsim strigosis extus stellatis adpressis pilis pubescentibus. 

 Corollw lobi subobovati v. elliptici obtusi extus etellatim tomentosi margine ciliato-villosi. 

 Ovarium extus rufo-lepidotum ; stylus bis bifidus ramis tuberculatis. Capsida ^ -poll. diam. 

 valde 6-sulcata lepidoto-tomentosa pedicellata, pedicello -j 3 poll, longo tetragono. Semina 

 \ poll, longa levia apice canaliculata. 



Nom. Vern. Mitra or Mittera. 



Socotra. On the Haghier hills. B.C.S. nn. 484, 496. Schweinf. n. 621. 

 Hunter. 



Distkib. Endemic. 



