278 BOTANY OF SOOOTRA. 



C. socotranus, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 95. Tab, 

 XCIV. 



Fructicosus; foliis ad extremitates ramulorum lateralium contractonim soepe fasciculatis 

 rotundatis v. obovatis subintegris peuniveniis; fl. ? sepalis integris. 



Frutex 10-pedalis lignosus ramulis terminalibus srepe subvirgatis cortice levi fulvo-pulverulento 

 proventu glabro, lateralibus contractis arete cicatrosis. Folia ad ramos elongatos alternat- 

 im et remote disposita, ad contractos fasciculatim aggvegata, in magnitudine et forma 

 ludentia maxima \\ poll, longa 1 poll, lata minima ^ poll, lotiga £ poll, lata breviter petioLi'a 

 rotundata v. obovata v. elliptica v. oblongo-elliptica apice obtusa integra v. emarginata versus 

 basin plerumque attenuata v. plus minusve rotundata margine integra obscure subundulata 

 coriacea pennivenia venulosa venulis plus minusve rubescentibus, pagina superiore atra in 

 juvenilibus pilis stellatis vestita in senioribus glabra, inferiore albida velutino-tomentosa 

 squamellis paucis irregularibus substipitatis minis venulas sparsim tegentibus; petiolus \—fo 

 poll, longus fulvo-pulverulentus eglandulosus. Stipulcc obsolete. Flores in spicatim capitatas 

 inflorescentias androgynas axillares ad extremitates ramulorum lateralium contractorum 

 dispositi. Fl. J supremi glomerulum globosum £ poll. diam. multiflorum terminalem 

 formantes, inflorescentia? rhacbi communi sub eis et supra fcemineos ^ poll, longa nuda 

 valida angulata fulvo-pulverulenta, pedicellis ^ poll, longis, bracteolis inconspicuis runs 

 squamiformibus. Calyx 3-lobatus, lobis integris late ovatis acutis extus tomentosis intus 

 nitidis. Stamina 7-9 exserta. Ovarii rudimentum oblongum trifidum basi pilosum. Fl. ? 

 pauci ad basin inflorescentise totaa subsessiles v. brevissime pedicellati, pedicellis angulatis 

 tomentosis, bracteolis ut in masculis. Calyx 6-lobatus, lobis integris obovatis v. subulatis 

 crassis falvo-tomentcsis inaaqualibus alternatim minoribus, majoribus £ poll, longis. Discus 

 obsoletus. Ovarium pulverulento-tomentosum trisulcatum ; stylus fere ad basin trifidus 

 segmentis multiramosis. Capsula extus glabra. Semina globosa J- poll, longa nigra 

 puberula. 



Nom. Vern. Tehn. (B.C.S.). Than (Schweinf). 



SocotPa. In many places, both at great altitudes and also on the shore 

 plains. B.C.S. nn. 391, 633. Schweinf. nn. 430, 594, 797. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A very distinct plant, which falls naturally into this genus, though it differs 

 much from the Mozambique and Nile Land species which hitherto constituted 

 it. Altogether ours is a more compact and smaller leaved plant than these others, 

 and the leaves are not dentate with broad 3-5-nerved bases. But the chief 

 difference lies in the sepals of the female flowers which are entire. 



Like so many Socotran plants this one exhibits large-leaved and small-leaved 

 forms according to its situation, and has usually many shortened branches on 

 which the leaves are fascicled. 



10. ACALYPHA. 



Acalypha, Linn. Gen. n. 1082 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 311. 



A vast genus of the warmer regions of the world, chiefly American. 



