'27 Q BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



oblongas ovatas variautibus laniina basi patellari-glandulosa, pagina utraque pilis stellatis 

 sparsim vestita ; stipulis obsoletis ; rloribus pedicellatis in umbellas unisexuales terminales 

 dispositis ; staminibus ultra 20 ; foemiuei floris petalis linearibus ; stylo bis bifido ; capsula 

 dense pilis setosis penicillatus vestita ; seminibus levibus. 

 Frutex 10-pedalis v. minor bipartim rigide ramosus, ramis elongatis erectis cortice lenticellato 

 griseo et subsuberoso terminalibus strictis sa?pe virgatis angulatis rufo-lepidotis ramulos 

 plurimos laterales contractos siccatricosos gerentibus. Folia ad extreinitates ramuloruni 

 eontractorum fasciculata forma magnitudine et petioli longitudine ludentia, in fruticibus 

 parvis valide ramulosis camporum aridorum parva -J- J- poll, longa £-£ poll, lata (petiolo 

 incluso 2*3— J P ^ 1 ^ on o°) elliptica v. oblongo-elliptica v. obovata apice obtusa saepe emarg- 

 inata basi sensim attenuata margine integra v. obscure crenata et subinvoluta crassiuscula 

 facile detersa, in fruticibus altioribus tenuius ramulosis locos gratos incolantibus majora 

 1-1^ poll, longa £ poll, lata (petiolo incluso srepe 1 poll, longo) lanceolata v. anguste 

 oblonga v. oblougo-ovata v. elongato-cordata nonnunquam inferne expansa et subbastata 

 versus apicem attenuata obtusa basi plerumque subcuneata rarius rotundata margine 

 integra v. distincte crenata tenuiora persistentiora, omnia pilis stellatis adpressis plus 

 miuusve sparsim utrinque vestita ; petiolus albido-lepidotus et squamis rufis paucis etiam 

 glandulis duabus stipitatis divaricatis sub lamina prajditus. Stipula inconspicua>. 

 Flores in umbellas unisexuales ad extremitates ramuloruni dispositi. Fl. J — Uvibclla 

 multiflome, bracteis squamiformibus, pedicellis \-% poll, longis rufo-lepidotis. Calyx 

 5-partitus, lobis ovatis acutis intus nitidis margine pilosis extus lepidotis lepidibus rufis. 

 Corolla: lobi calyce longiores oblongo-obovati angusti obtusi albidi membranacei margine 

 villosi venulo medio conspicuo. Stamina ultra 20. Disci lobi rotundati. Fecejjtacnlum 

 villosum. Fl. ? — Umhdla, pauciflorre, bracteis ut in masculis, pedicellis I poll, longis 

 sub fructu auctis angulatis validis. Calycis lobi ut in masculis. Corolla lobi reducti tenues 

 lineares apice breviter expansi. Discus inconspicuus. Stylus bis bifidus, segmentis apice 

 dilatatis. Capsula globosa \ poll. diam. villis pilorum rigidorum stellatim radian tium 

 arete vestita. Semina levia oblonga nitida \ poll, longa, carunculis magnis. 



Nom. Vern. Mitra or Mittera. 



Socotra. Very abundant on the plains and lower slopes of the hills. 

 B.C.S. nn. 1, 278, 494. Schweinf. nn. 449, 798. Hunter. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A fourth species of the Eluteria section, and very widely distinct from all 

 species hitherto described. From the other insular forms the vestiture of 

 its leaves and their much smaller size at once separate it. In the female 

 Mower the petals are greatly reduced, being merely narrow linear lobes. The 

 fruit has somewhat the character of C. sarocarpux, but it is much smaller, and 

 the brush-like surface is produced by sessile tufts of stiff hairs, not by pencils 

 on the top of setsc. 



This species is perhaps the commonest plant on the plains and lower hill- 

 slopes, forming indeed almost the whole of the scrub covering these regions. It 

 varies much both in habit and foliage with situation. The plain plants (B.C.S. 

 n. 1, Schweinf. n. 998) are, as is to be expected, commonly more dwarf, or at 

 anyrate have stout branches and small fascicled leaves ; whilst in more favour- 



