314 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



Socotra. Very common. B.C.S. n. 44. Schweinf. n. 559. 

 Distrib. Warmer regions of both old and new worlds. 



8. RHYNCHELYTRUM. 



Bhynehdytrum, Hochst. in Flora 1844, 249, non Nees ; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 1120. 



A small genus including one Abyssinian and one ^Ethiopian species, and 

 now an additional one endemic in Socotra which shows two distinct forms. 



R. microstachyum, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1882), 97. 

 Tab. XCVIII, A. 



Vix pedale phis minusve puberulnm tenue ; paniculi parvi spiculis \ poll, longis ; glumis 

 secundis et berths apice bifidis lobis rotundatis aristis glumis vix excedentibus. 



Subpedalis radicis fibrosis paucis, culrais paucis erectis tenuibus basi internodiis brevibus 

 puberulis sericeis teretibus substriatis. Folia puberula subtusque subscabridula, 

 nonnunquam pilosa basalia amplexicaulia vix vaginantia basi carinata antice canaliculata 

 longe ensiformia angusta acuta, superiora vagina subventricosa striata, lamina 1^-2 poll, 

 longa \ poll, lata sicca involuta margine ciliata subtus nervo medio per § inferiorem pro- 

 minente utrinque 3-nervis, ligulae loco pilosa. Paniculi 2-2^-pollicares rhacbi striata 

 puberula tenui ; rami distantes delicatuli, inferiores longissimi f-1 poll, ramosi ramulis 

 ultimis 2-3-floris ; pedicelli graciles flexuosi reflexi ^ 2 -\ poll, longi subtiliter puberuli 

 apiceque pilosi et in geniculum orbicularem a spicula solubilem incrassati. Spicule parvae 

 \ poll, longae secundae. Ghima infima ^ poll, longa vix tertiam imbricans cum rbacbilla 

 pilorum purpurascentium fasciculis basi cincta linearis apice truncata breviter biloba lobis 

 rotundatis extus strigulosa ; gluma secunda vacua maxima carinata inferne subcompressa 

 subventricosa lagenaeformis v. ovata apice angustata fulvo-colorata bifida Crustacea 5- 

 nervis nervis extus prominulis medio cristato margine ciliata intus nitida pilis rigidis 

 erectis caeteroquin puberula pilis subadpressis paucis, arista £ poll, longa recta puberula 

 pilis ascendentibus ; gluma tertia florens paullo minor aristata carinata sed non cristata 

 non ventricosa caeteroquin secundae simillima; palea £ foveas gluma florali brevior £ 

 poll, longa membranacea binervis margine inflexa nervis puberulis apice bidentula ; glumae 

 2 superiores parvse inferior vacua major ^ poll, longa late ovata v. elliptica apice 

 emarginata membranacea 5-nervis superior florem $ fovens anguste ovata v. elliptica 

 membracea 2-nervis. Stamina 3. Styli fere ad basim soluti. 



Socotra. About Galonsir and Tamarida. B.C.S. n. 254. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



var. albicomum, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1883), 411. 

 Spiculis paullo majoribus glumisque tribus exterioribus dense pilis albis sericeo-piloso- 

 villosis. 



Socotra. Near Galonsir and Tamarida. B.C.S. n. 124. Schweinf. n. 467. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A very interesting genus belonging to a but little known genus of Triste- 

 ginere, and allied to Arundinella and its neighbours. It is, however, readily dis- 

 tinguished by the small distant lowest glume. With Kotschy's Nubian plant, Jl. 

 (jrandijlorum, Hochst. (in Flora 1844, 249), our plant has many resemblances, 



