PHANEROGAMS— PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 309 



E. vestita, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1882), 97. 



Omnino niolliter pubescens rigide ramosa; foliis crassiusculis rigidis brevibus; racemis pani- 

 culae 6-8; spiralis compressis ovoideis; glumis vacuis villosis pungentibus; glumis 

 fertilibus muticis. 



Ranri culmiforari rigidi a collo csespitosi erecti arete aggregati inferne simplices superne diehotome 

 rigide ramosi et inter se intricati |~| poll, long! obscure tetragoni moltiter pubescentes. 

 Folia in parte inferiore ramorum subsquaraiformia late ovata ainplexicaulia apiceque 

 puDgente-mucronata sursum gradatiui in folia vaginantia transeuntia, folia typica molliter 

 pubescentia arete imbricata lamina 1-1£ poll, longa lineari longe acuta supra canaliculata 

 infra convexa striata involuta crassiuscula subrigiJa vagina striata seepe 1 poll, longa. 

 Panicula ad extremitatern pedunculi communis brevis. Raccmi 5-7 tenues flexuosi 

 pauciflori adpresso-erecti secundi alterni remoti teretes molliter pubescentes ad axem com- 

 munem striatum v. sulcatum flexuosum pubescentem 1-1-j- poll, longum dispositiinferiores 

 \ poll, longi sursum breviores. Spiculce compressse subovoideae subacute ^ poll, longa? 

 ad discum annulatum cupulatum sessse basi articulatae. Glumce vacuae submembranacese 

 late ovatae et apice pungente-apiculataa multi-nerves carinatae extus dense villosae. Glumce 

 fertiles breviores ovatae acutae muticae coriaceae nitidoe obscure nervosa?. 



Socotra. On the limestone plains south-west of Galonsir, at an altitude 

 over 1500 feet. B.C.S. n. 574. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A very distinct species in this genus, distinguished by its soft downy 

 vestiture as well as by its habit. It grows in patches extending over a con- 

 siderable area, and with the stems and branches close set and intermingling, so 

 that it forms a complete carpet on the surface of the ground. From this 

 carpet the flowering panicles ascend here and there, and the panicles which are 

 borne by them differ from those in other members of the genus in having the 

 flowers distinctly pedicellate. The type of the genus shows sessile flowers, but 

 in some species there is a slight pedicellation of the flowers. Possibly E. 

 punctata, Hamilt. (Prod. PI. Ind. Occ. 5; Kunth Enum.i. 72), is its nearest ally. 



3. PANICTTM. 



Panicum, Linn. Gen. n. 76; Bentb. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 1100. 



A large genus, dispersed widely in the warmer regions of the whole globe, 

 some species being almost cosmopolitan and a few occurring in north temperate 

 regions. Nine species are Socotran. Of these, one is endemic, two are 

 north-east tropical African, one is tropical African and Arabian, two are 

 ' tropical African and Asian one of them reaching Australia, two are generally 

 distributed tropical species, and one is almost a cosmopolitan weed. 



1. P. (Digitaria) sanguinale, Linn. Sp. 84; Kunth Enum. i. 82; Trin. Sp. 

 Gram. ii. tt. 93, 144 



P. ciliare, Retz. Obs. iv. 16; Aeb. Rich. Tent. Flor. Abyss, ii. 360. 



P. fenestration, Hochst. in herb. Schimp. Abyss, sect. i. n. 85; Acb. Rich. luc. cit. 361. 



