128 
FLORA OF ADEN. 
Distribution : — Hadramaut, Yemen, Socotra. 
Note : — The confusion which existed 50 years ago between Sterculia 
urabica , Anders., S. abyssiniea , R. Br. and 8. triphaca , R. Br. can still 
be found in some more recent publications. It may, therefore, not be 
considered superfluous, if we reproduce in this place a short passage 
from Anderson's Florida, in which he tried to clear up the doubtful 
points. He says : — 
“ I have examined on two distinct occasions the original specimens 
of $, abyssiniea, R. Br., in Salt's Abyssinian plants in the British 
Museum, and at the same time compared them with ten or twelve 
specimens of the Aden species of S. arabica, I find that among Salt's 
specimens of S. abyssiniea there is a fragment of S. arabica, consisting 
of a portion of a branch with three leaves, and a fruit of four follicles 
on a very short axillary peduncle ; and from this the description in the 
* Flantce Javanicce Rariores ,' of the fruit and partly of the leaves, of 
S. abyssiniea was deduced. Though Salt's specimens of these two 
species of Sterculia are said to be from Abyssinia, they are possibly 
from quite distinct localities ; for that traveller, after touching at 
several points on the east coast of Africa, visited Aden and Arabia Felix. 
Whenever a favourable opportunity occurred he seems to have collected 
plants, but (judging from his herbarium in the British Museum) 
without appending any notes or records of stations to his specimens. It 
is probable that the specimens of 8. abyssiniea were obtained at 
Mozambique where Salt spent several days ; and the fragment of S. 
arabiea mixed with the former species is most likely from Aden. 
“ Had R. Brown seen flowering specimens of 8. arabica , he would 
doubtless at once have distinguished the two species, and moreover, would 
have united his S. abyssiniea with his other species of 8. ' triphaca , 
described from an imperfect specimen in fruit in the Paris Herbarium, 
collected by Loureiro at Mozambique, and which seems to have been 
considered distinct by Brown, on account of the fruit differing from 
what he mistook for the fruit of 8. abyssiniea , hut which I have above 
shown to be the fruit of 8. arabica 
“ 8. arabiea is easily distinguished from S. abyssiniea by its short- 
petioled, round, rarely acute, and perfectly glabrous leaves, very short, 
axillary, simple, nearly glabrous racemes, and by the markedly different 
fruit, which is only half the size of that of S. abyssiniea . 
“ The leaves, petioles, and peduncles of S. abyssiniea, besides 
possessing other and more important characters, are always more or less 
tomentose." (Anderson, Flor. Aden, pp. 9 and 10.) 
Cf. etiam Balfour, Bot. Socotra, p. 35. 
