56 
FLORA OF ADEN . 
a single maritime plant, nor an Alga • a dichotomous-leaved Poa, and 
a Cy perns, both growing in scattered tufts, occupying all the sand 
whilst the rocks were invariably naked. Further back, the Cleome 
was abundant, with several smaller Capparidece , the universal Reseda , 
some herbaceous and shrubby Euphorbiaeea and Leguminosce. A small 
weeping tree, ten feet high, possibly Osyris , was the largest plant. 
Several Zygophyllea , Fagonia , and some Rubiacea were plentiful ; 
a filiform Mathiola (?) and a suffrutescent Campylanthus , a pretty 
Acanthaceous plant, two Labiata , one Boraginea , and some Scrophu - 
larinece were also common/'’ 1 
The dominant species which give the vegetation of Aden its 
characteristic feature are Bipterygium glaucum , Cleome par ado xa Capparis 
galeata , Reseda amblyocavpa , Sterculia arabica , Cucumis prophetarum , 
V ernonia atripliei folia, Salvadora persica, Glossotiema Boveanum, 
Boerhaavia elegans, B. verticillata, Jatropha spinosa, and Euphorbia 
Schimperi. All of them, with the exception of two are essentially 
tropical and do not belong to the flora of Arabia Petraea. 
Neither ferns nor mosses nor fungi, have been observed in the 
peninsula of Aden. The algae, inhabiting the wells and tanks, have 
to our knowledge never been collected and described. A few lichens, 
which will be described below, are the only representatives of 
cryptogamic plants. 
Of the 250 species occurring in the British territory, no less than 
228 have been reported from the peninsula of Aden. 
b . Little Aden. 
The flora of Little Aden is, according to Defiers, on the whole the 
same as that of the peninsula of Aden. But, in spite of its covering a 
larger area, the variety of plants is smaller owing probably to the greater 
dryness of the place. The ravines of Jebel Ishan harbour some interest- 
ing species which seem to be confined to those localities. In one of the 
valleys we find Bobera glabra (Salvador acea) which occurs nowhere in 
the neighbouring country and which must have been carried there by 
some chance. The following species have been noted in Little Aden 
which apparently do not occur in other parts of the British territory : 
Atriplex farinosa, IAttonia minor , Bipcadi erythraeum , Andropogon 
Iwarancusa , Panicum turgidum. 
1 In Hooker’s London Journal of Botany VP [1848) 307 314. 
