PHANEROGAMS— PROFESSOR BAYLEY BALFOUR. 319 



Socotra. Common. B.C.S. n. 341. 

 Distrib. Common tropical weed. 



21. MELANOCENCHBIS. 



Melanocenchris, Nees in Proc. Linn. Soc. i. 94; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 1169. 



A genus of three nearly allied species found in tropical Africa, Arabia, and 

 East India. 



M. Royleana, Nees in Ann. Nat. Hist. vii. (1841), 221; Steud. Sp. Gram. 

 i. 218. 



M. Jacquemonlii, Jaub. et Spach. 111. PI. Or. iv. t. 325. 



M. plumosa, Jaub. et Spach. loc. cit. 



Pennisetum phimosum, Hochst. et Steud. in herb. Schimp. Arab. n. 794. 



Socotra. Very common. B.C.S. n. 135. Schweinf. n. 485. 



Distrib. India, Scindh, Arabia, and north-east tropical Africa. 



M. plumosa is merely a form of the Indian plant with fewer and larger 

 spikelets. It occurs in Arabia and in north-east tropical Africa. The Socotran 

 plant is the typical Indian form. 



22. ELEUSINE. 



Elmsine, Gartn. Fruot. 1. 7, t. 1; Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 1172. 



A genus of which many species have been described, but these are reduced 

 by Bentham and Hooker to about seven. They are essentially plants of the 

 tropical and subtropical regions of the old world, but some are widely spread in 

 warmer America. Some are common weeds everywhere in tropical countries, 

 and to this category belong two of the Socotran species, the third being an 

 Asiatic, African, and Australian form. 



1. E. segyptia, Pers. Syn. i. 87. 



Dadyloctenium cegyptiacum, Willd. Enum. 1029; Kunth Enum. i. 261; T. Anders, in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. v. (I860), Suppl. 41. 



Socotra. In many places. B.C.S. nn. 42, 69. 

 Distrib. A common weed everywhere. 



2. E. indica, Giirtn. Fruct, i. 8; Kunth Enum. i. 272; Trin. Spec. Gram, 

 i. t. 71. 



Socotra. Common and cultivated. B.C.S. nn. 266, 361. Schweinf. n. 574. 

 Distrib. Common in tropical and subtropical regions. 

 In Socotra this is cultivated under the name of Bombe; our n. 296 is an 

 example of it. We have (n. 389) a dwarf form of the species. 



3. E. verticillata, Roxb. Flor. Ind. i. 346. 



Leptochloa (?) racemosa and L. verticillata, Kunth Enum. i. 272. 



