PHANEROGAMS — PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 289 



DIOSCOEEA. 



Dioscorea, Linn. Gen. n. 1122 ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PL iii. 742. 

 A large genus with the distribution of the order. 



D. lanata, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Eclin. xii. (1882), 96. 



Volubilis caule tereti piloso ; foliis cordatis v. rotundatis v. reniformibus apice spinoso- 

 mucronatis 7-9-nervatis subtus lanatis ; spicis solitariis axillaribus ; fl. $ glomeratis, stam- 

 inibus 6, ovarii rudimento depresso triquetro ; fl. ? solitariis, capsulis pubescentibus. 



Volubilis ramis levibus teretiusculis sparsim pilosis. Folia petiolata magnitudine variantia 

 maxima 4-5 v. 8 poll, longa 3-3£ poll, lata minima If poll, longa 1| poll, lata cordata v. 

 cordato-rotundata v. subreniformia apice obtusa v. acuta mucrone duro deltoideo spinoso 

 instructa basi lobis lateralibus late rotundatis sinu intermedio alto margine parum 

 incrassata revoluta tenuia submembranacea 7-9-nervia supra pilosa subtus albido-lanata ; 

 petiolus angulatus piloso-pubescens cum foliorum magnitudine varians |— 4 poll, longus. 

 Spicce masmlce axillares solitariae simplices v. pauci-ramos?e 6-8 poll, longae ; rhacbis 

 tenuis piloso-pubescens angulata ; bractese minutae ovato-acutae floribus dimidio breviores. 

 Flores sessiles 2-3-aggvegati. Perianthmm ^ - poll, longum extus basi pilosum 6-partitum 

 segmentis membrauaceis obovatis v. ovato-rotundis obtusis. Stamina 6 supra basin 

 periantbii inserta eoque breviora filamentis subulatis antberis cequilongis ; antheree dorso 

 medio adnata? introrsse. Pistilli rudimentum triquetrum apice depressum. Spicai fosminece 

 breviores axillares 2-3 poll, longse ; rbacbis tenuis piloso-pubescens ; bracteas ut in masculis. 

 Mores sessiles solitarii. Ovarium villoso-pubescens. Capsular cernuae breviter stipitatae 

 tripterse § poll. diam. pubescentes. Semina minute rugulosa transverse elliptica | poll, 

 diam. ala fusca. 



Nom. Vern. Seifcha (B.C.S.). 



Socotra. On many parts of Haghier. B.C.S. n. 482. Schweinf. in lit. 

 Nimmo 



Distrib. Endemic. 



This is apparently a new species, possibly a near ally of D. spinosa, Roxb.; 

 (Wall. Cat. n. 5103), a form I have not seen, and it has some resemblances with 

 forms of D. sativa, Linn. (Sp. 1463 ; Kunth Enum. v. 340). Its most prominent 

 features are its leaves, woolly underneath and with a spiny apical mucro, and 

 the solitary axillary male inflorescences. 



In Kew Herbarium there are plants of this species sent by Nimmo from the 

 island. The tuber is sought after by the troglodytic inhabitants. Specimens 

 of the tuber we brought home produced male flowers at Kew in August 1880, 

 and in Edinburgh the following year. From the Kew flowers our description 

 is taken. We only found the plant in fruit on Socotra. 



Order LXXYI. LILIACEiE.* 



A very large order of tropical and temperate regions, most abundant in the 

 latter, and especially developed in dry sandy districts. Seven genera are 



* To Mr J. G. Baker I am indebted for the description of, and notes to, the new species in this 

 order to which his name is attached. 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN. VOL. XXXI. 2 O 



