PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 281 



A very curious species. In some respects it is not unlike D. radiata, Lamk. 

 (Encyc. ii. 318 ; Boiss. in DC. Prod. xvii. 275), described and figured by Forskal 

 (Fl. iEgypt. Arab. 164. t. 20), under the name Kosaria species. This is its nearest 

 ally, but the Socotran species is a more grotesque plant having a much thicker 

 and more gouty stem, and in its technical characters, notably foliage and 

 hypanthodia, is widely separate. 



Our plant in general character is not unlike an Adenium, having the same 

 stout stems and the leaves clustered at the end of thick branches. The plant 

 bleeds very freely on being wounded, yielding a yellow viscid juice which 

 soon hardens into a yellowish-brown cake. The leaves on small plants of 

 this species differ somewhat from those on larger and more adult plants. 

 They are much narrower, with margins greatly revolute and so bullate as to 

 make the upper surface quite rough. We only obtained plants with young- 

 flower buds. Schweinfurth got splendid flowering specimens, and as he was 

 enabled thereby to identify its genus we have retained his specific name. 

 There are several plants of this now growing in this country, and Schweinfurth 

 has it in cultivation at Cairo. For further remarks as to its structure see 

 Appendix. 



2. FICUS. 

 Ficus, Linn. Gen. n. 1168 ; Benth. et. Hook. Gen. PL iii. 367. 



A vast genus spread all over the warmer regions of the globe. Many of 

 the species are polymorphous, and they are very difficult to define and to 

 determine. Of three species in Socotra, one is endemic, one is a tropical and 

 south African form found also in Arabia, and the third is probably an endemic 

 one, but our specimens are not sufficient for determination. 



1. F. (Urostigma) socotrana, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. 

 (1883), 96. 



Arborea ramulis pubescentibus ; foliis rotundato-cordatis molliter pubescentibus 5-nervatis 

 utrinque alterne 5-8-costatis ; stipulis villosis ; hypantbodiis obovatis - pubescentibus ; 

 acheniis ovoideis levibus periantbio membranaceo inclusis. 



Arbor magna umbragea ramulis valiclis annulatis pubescente-tomentosis. Folia magna 

 petiolata maxima pedalia 8 poll, lata plerumque 6 poll, longa 4 poll, lata v. minora 

 rotundato-cordato acumine apicali obtuso lobis basalibus subeequalibus sinu alto margine 

 obscure subsinuata parum revoluta coriacea molliter pubescentia basi 5-nervia utrinque 

 alterne 5-8-costata nervo medio costisque subtus prominentibus ; petiolus striatus 2—3^ poll, 

 longus fulvo-tomentoso-pubescens glandula sublaminari nigra nitida. Stipidce dense 

 villosse coriacea? late ovatse. Hypanthodia axillaria bina -^ poll, longa ^ poll, lata obovata 

 extus pubescente-tomentosa ; calyculi lobi minuti rotundati ; pedicelluli ^-\ poll, longi 

 validi dense pubescentes ; bracteoe basilares late ovatse rufye. Fl. ? sessiles v. pedicellati 

 bracteolis interfloralibus acuminatis carinatis. Ferianthii segmenta membranacea. 

 Stigma complanatum expansum. Achenia ovoidea nitida levia periantbio inclusa, 

 pericarpio intus erustaceo extus carnosulo. 

 TKANS. KOY. SOC. EDIN. VOL. XXXI. 2 N 



