322 BOTANY OF SOCOTRA. 



27. LEPTUEUS. 



Leptwrus, R Br. Prod. 207 ; Bentb. et Hook. Gen. PL iii. 1204. 



A small genus including, with our endemic Socotran one, seven species, five 

 being European, north African, and temperate Asiatic forms, some reaching 

 Australia, the sixth is a south Pacific and Australian species. 



L. tenuis, Balf. fil. in Proc. Eoy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1882), 97. 



Caespitosus breviter repens tenuis; foliis angustis linearibus glaucis longis piloso-puberulis; 

 spicis compressis; gluma vacua solitaria plurinervi florente paleaque duplolongiore; stipite 

 glumam minutam byalinam gerente. 



Perennis caespitosus sobole repente brevi culniis pedalibus paucis adscendentibus. Folia 

 plurima a basi culmorum patentia elongata, caulinia pauca glauca puberula ciliata 5-nervia 

 in loco ligulae villosa, vagina brevi prominenter nervosa. Bhachis elongata tenuis compressa 

 striata puberula. Spicai 2-3 poll. longae multo compressae plerumque curvatae tenues, 

 intern odiis \ poll, longis. Gluma extima vacua ^ poll, longa longe acuta prominenter 6-8- 

 nervis basi incrassato-tumida margine paullo inflexa; gluma florens secunda extima 

 dimidio brevior tenuis byalina trinervis lanceolata acuta apice minute pilosa; palea 

 subaequilonga et conformis 2-nervis. Stipes palea dimidio brevior glumae floris imperfecti 

 hyalinae lanceolatae subaequilonga. 



Soeotra. On the plains at the eastern end of the island. B.C.S. n. 572. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



A distinct species having many points of resemblance with L.Jiliformis, Trin. 

 (Fundam. Agrostog. 123 ; Kunth Enum. i. 462), a Mediterranean, Atlantic 

 Island, and northern Asiatic species, but the single long empty glume of 

 our plant is diagnostic. Probably its nearest affinity is with the Australian 

 and south Pacific L. repens, R. Br. (Prod. 207), but that is a much more robust 

 plant, more widely creeping, more glaucous, and has shorter and broader leaves. 



28. ISCHNURUS. 



Ischnurus, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xii. (1882), 98. 



Spiculae 1-florse in spica simplici ad excavationes rhacbeos compressae solitaria?, alternae, sessiles, 

 rhachilla brevissima supra glumam inferiorem articulata ultra florem in stipitem brevem 

 plerumque florem imperfectum gerentem producta, flore bermaphrodito. Gluma infima 

 vacua, rhacbi opposita, brevis, rigida, oblonga, truncata v. obtusa, basi incrassata tumida, 

 8-nervis, margine membranacea; florens aequilonga, membranacea, trinervis, apice obscure 

 trifida ciliata; palea aequilonga, membranacea, 2-nervis. Stamina 3. Styli breves, dis- 

 tincti, stigmatibus plumosis. Caryopsis late ellipsoidea, compressa, glabra, gluma paleaque 

 inclusa, libera. — Gramen perenne, nanum v. elatum, caespitosum, multicaule, foliis glaucis 

 pilosis. Spica terminalis, rigida, tenuis, recta, spiculis parvis dissitis in rbacbi alte 

 excavata quasi inclusis, gluma infima vacua semper adpressa. 



A new genus of Hordese with a very distinctive facies. *Its nearest affinity in 

 the tribe is the Indian monotypic Oropetium, Trin. (Fundam. Agrostog. 98, t. 3; 

 Benth. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 1206), in which the spikelets are completely sunk 



