Socotra is the largest island in the Socotra Archipelago, which also includes Abd al Kuri, Samhah, and Darsah. The islands are in the Indian Ocean east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. The archipelago is home to dozens of endemic species and subspecies of plants, including the endemic genera Angkalanthus, Ballochia, Cephalocrotonopsis, Cyanixia, Duvaliandra, Haya, Lachnocapsa, Nirarathamnos, Paraerva, Socotrella, Tamridaea, and Trichocalyx.Endemic plants of Socotra, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) checklist builder. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 August 2024. Although it is politically part of Yemen, the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions treats the Socotra Archipelago as a separate botanical country.
Plants are listed alphabetically by plant family.
Acanthaceae Angkalanthus Angkalanthus oligophylla – south-central Socotra Anisotes diversifolius – Socotra Ballochia – Socotra Ballochia amoena – Socotra Ballochia atrovirgata – Socotra Ballochia rotundifolia – north-central and southwestern Socotra Barleria aculeata – Socotra Barleria popovii – – Socotra (central Hajhir Mts.) Barleria tetracantha – Socotra Blepharis spiculifolia – northeastern Socotra Chorisochora minor – north-central Socotra Chorisochora striata – Socotra Dicliptera effusa – Socotra Hypoestes pubescens – Socotra Justicia alexandri – north-central Socotra Justicia rigida – Socotra Justicia takhinensis – northeastern Socotra Neuracanthus aculeatus – northeastern Socotra Ruellia dioscoridis – Socotra Ruellia insignis – north-central Socotra Ruellia kuriensis – central Abd al Kuri Ruellia paulayana – southeastern Socotra Trichocalyx – Socotra Trichocalyx obovatus – Socotra Trichocalyx orbiculatus – Socotra
Amaranthaceae Paraerva Paraerva microphylla – Socotra and Abd al Kuri Paraerva revoluta – Socotra
Amaranthaceae Psilotrichum aphyllum northeastern and southern Socotra
Amaryllidaceae Crinum balfourii – Socotra
Anacardiaceae Lannea transulta – Socotra Searsia thyrsiflora – Socotra
Apiaceae Nirarathamnos Nirarathamnos asarifolius – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Peucedanum cordatum – Socotra
Apocynaceae Cryptolepis arbuscula – north-central and northeastern Socotra Cryptolepis intricata – Socotra Cryptolepis macrophylla – Socotra Cryptolepis socotrana – Socotra Cryptolepis volubilis – Socotra Cynanchum socotranum – central and eastern Socotra Duvaliandra Duvaliandra dioscoridis – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Echidnopsis bentii – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Echidnopsis inconspicua – west-central Socotra Echidnopsis insularis – Socotra Echidnopsis milleri – northwestern Socotra Echidnopsis socotrana – western and central Socotra Secamone cuneifolia – Socotra Secamone socotrana – Socotra Socotrella – Socotra Socotrella dolichocnema – western Socotra Vincetoxicum linifolium – Socotra
Asparagaceae Chlorophytum graptophyllum – Socotra Dipcadi balfourii – Socotra Dipcadi guichardii – Socotra Dipcadi kuriensis – Socotra Dracaena cinnabari – Socotra Ledebouria grandifolia – Socotra Ledebouria insularis – Socotra
Asphodelaceae Aloe × buzairiensis (A. perryi × A. squarrosa) – Socotra Aloe forbesii – Socotra (central Hajhir Mts.) Aloe haggeherensis – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Aloe jawiyon – Socotra Aloe perryi – Socotra Aloe squarrosa – western Socotra
Aspleniaceae Asplenium schweinfurthii – Socotra and Abd al Kuri
Asteraceae Distephanus qazmi – Socotra Erythroseris amabilis – Socotra Helichrysum paulayanum – Socotra Kleinia scottii – Socotra Launaea crepoides – Socotra and Samhah Launaea rhynchocarpa – Socotra and Abd al Kuri Launaea socotrana – Socotra and Samhah Libinhania acicularis – Socotra Libinhania arachnoides – Socotra and Samhah Libinhania balfourii – Socotra Libinhania discolor – Socotra Libinhania fontinalis – Socotra Libinhania hegerensis – Socotra Libinhania nimmoana – Socotra Libinhania nivea – Socotra Libinhania pendula – Socotra Libinhania rosulata – Socotra Libinhania sphaerocephala – Socotra Libinhania suffruticosa – Socotra Macledium canum – Socotra †Pluchea glutinosa – Socotra; last recorded in 1881 and presumed extinct Pluchea obovata – Socotra †Psiadia schweinfurthii – Socotra (northern Hajhir Mts.); last recorded in 1881 and presumed extinct Pulicaria aromatica – Socotra Pulicaria dioscorides – Socotra Pulicaria diversifolia – Socotra and Samhah Pulicaria elegans – Socotra Pulicaria lanata – Socotra Pulicaria stephanocarpa – Socotra, Samhah, and Abd al Kuri Pulicaria vieraeoides – Socotra Vernonia cockburniana – Socotra Vernonia unicata – Socotra Volutaria socotrensis – Socotra
Begoniaceae Begonia samhaensis – Samhah Begonia socotrana – Hajhir Mts. and adjacent high limestone plateaux of north-central Socotra
Boraginaceae Cystostemon socotranus – Socotra Echiochilon pulvinatum – western and southwestern Socotra Euploca nigricans – south-central and southwestern Socotra Heliotropium balfourii – Socotra Heliotropium dentatum – northern Socotra Heliotropium derafontense – north-northeastern Socotra Heliotropium kuriense – Abd al Kuri Heliotropium paulayanum – Abd al Kuri Heliotropium riebeckii – Socotra Heliotropium shoabense – eastern Socotra Heliotropium sokotranum – Socotra Heliotropium wagneri – Abd al Kuri and Samhah Trichodesma laxiflorum – Socotra Trichodesma microcalyx – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Trichodesma scottii – Socotra
Brassicaceae Erucastrum rostratum – Socotra Farsetia inconspicua – western Socotra Farsetia socotrana – Socotra Hemicrambe fruticosa – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Hemicrambe socotrana – western Socotra Lachnocapsa – Socotra Lachnocapsa spathulata – Socotra
Burseraceae Boswellia ameero – Socotra Boswellia asplenifolia – northwestern and north-central Socotra Boswellia bullata – northwestern Socotra Boswellia dioscoridis – Socotra Boswellia elongata – Socotra Boswellia nana – northeastern Socotra Boswellia popoviana – Socotra Boswellia samhaensis – Socotra Boswellia scopulorum – Socotra Boswellia socotrana – north-central and northeastern Socotra Commiphora ornifolia – Socotra Commiphora ornifolia var. glabra – Socotra Commiphora ornifolia var. ornifolia – Socotra Commiphora parvifolia – Socotra Commiphora planifrons – Socotra Commiphora socotrana – Socotra
Campanulaceae Campanula balfourii – Socotra
Capparaceae Cadaba insularis – Socotra Maerua angolensis subsp. socotrana – Socotra
Caprifoliaceae †Valeriana extincta – northwestern Socotra (Jebel Ma’alih), Last recorded in 1880.
Caryophyllaceae Gymnocarpos bracteatus – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Gymnocarpos kuriensis – Socotra and Abd al Kuri Haya – Socotra Haya obovata – Socotra Polycarpaea balfourii – Socotra Polycarpaea caespitosa – Socotra Polycarpaea hassalensis – Abd al Kuri Polycarpaea hayoides – Socotra Polycarpaea kuriensis – Socotra Polycarpaea paulayana – northern Socotra and Samhah
Cleomaceae Cleome socotrana – Socotra
Colchicaceae Iphigenia socotrana – Socotra
Convolvulaceae Convolvulus grantii – Abd al Kuri Convolvulus kossmatii – Abd al Kuri Convolvulus semhaensis – Samhah Convolvulus socotranus – Socotra Cuscuta balansae var. socotrensis – Socotra Cuscuta planiflora var. globularis – Socotra Metaporana obtusa – Socotra Seddera pedunculata – Socotra
Crassulaceae Kalanchoe farinacea – Socotra Kalanchoe robusta – Socotra
Cucurbitaceae Eureiandra balfourii – Socotra
Cyperaceae Carex socotrana – Socotra
Dioscoreaceae Dioscorea lanata – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.)
Dirachmaceae Dirachma socotrana – northern and northeastern Socotra
Erythroxylaceae Erythroxylum socotranum – southwestern Socotra
Euphorbiaceae Cephalocrotonopsis – Socotra Cephalocrotonopsis socotranus – Socotra Croton sarcocarpus – Socotra Croton socotranus – Socotra Croton socotranus var. pachyclados – Socotra (Mt. Hamaderoh) Croton socotranus var. socotranus – Socotra Croton sulcifructus – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Euphorbia abdelkuri – Abd al Kuri Euphorbia arbuscula – Socotra Euphorbia hajhirensis – Socotra (central Hajhir Mts.) Euphorbia hamaderoensis – Socotra Euphorbia kischenensis – Socotra Euphorbia kuriensis – Abd al Kuri Euphorbia leptoclada – Socotra Euphorbia marie-cladieae – Socotra Euphorbia mtolohensis – Socotra (Jabal Mtoloh) Euphorbia obcordata – Socotra Euphorbia schweinfurthii – Socotra Euphorbia socotrana – Socotra Euphorbia socotrana subsp. purpurea – Socotra Euphorbia socotrana subsp. socotrana – Socotra Euphorbia spiralis – Socotra Jatropha unicostata – Socotra Tragia balfourii – Socotra
Fabaceae Chapmannia gracilis – north-central and northeastern Socotra Chapmannia reghidensis – northern Socotra Chapmannia sericea – western and southwestern Socotra Chapmannia tinireana – north-central Socotra Crotalaria socotrana – north-central Socotra Crotalaria strigulosa – Socotra and Abd al Kuri Dichrostachys dehiscens – north-central and central Socotra Indigofera marmorata – north-central Socotra Indigofera nephrocarpoides – Socotra and Samhah Indigofera sokotrana – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Lotus mollis – Socotra and Samhah Lotus ononopsis – north-central and northeastern Socotra Paracalyx balfourii – Socotra and Samhah Taverniera sericophylla – western and northern Socotra Tephrosia odorata – Socotra Tephrosia socotrana – northern Socotra Trigonella falcata – western Socotra Vachellia pennivenia – Socotra Zygocarpum caeruleum – Socotra
Gentianaceae Exacum caeruleum – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Exacum socotranum – southwestern Socotra
Geraniaceae Pelargonium insularis – Samhah
Goodeniaceae Scaevola socotraensis – southwestern Socotra
Hypericaceae Hypericum balfourii – north-northeastern Socotra Hypericum fieriense – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Hypericum scopulorum – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Hypericum smithii – central and eastern Socotra Hypericum socotranum – northwestern Socotra Hypericum tortuosum – Socotra
Iridaceae Cyanixia – Socotra Cyanixia socotrana – Socotra
Lamiaceae Clerodendrum galeatum – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Clerodendrum leucophloeum – Socotra Coleus socotranus – Socotra Lavandula nimmoi – Socotra Leucas flagellifera – western Socotra and Samhah Leucas hagghierensis – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Leucas kishenensis – Socotra Leucas penduliflora – north-central Socotra Leucas samhaensis – Samhah Leucas spiculifolia – Socotra Leucas virgata – Socotra Orthosiphon ferrugineus – north-central Socotra Teucrium balfourii – Socotra and Samhah Teucrium socotranum – northern and eastern Socotra
Lythraceae Punica protopunica – Socotra
Malpighiaceae Acridocarpus socotranus – Socotra
Malvaceae Corchorus erodioides – Socotra and Samhah Grewia bilocularis – Socotra Grewia turbinata – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Hibiscus dioscorides – Socotra (eastern Hajhir Mts.) Hibiscus diriffan – central and south-central Socotra Hibiscus macropodus – north-central Socotra Hibiscus malacophyllus – north-central Socotra Hibiscus noli-tangere – northeastern Socotra Hibiscus quattenensis – western and southwestern Socotra Hibiscus scottii – north-central Socotra Hibiscus socotranus – northwestern Socotra Hibiscus stenanthus – eastern Socotra
Meliaceae Turraea socotrana – Socotra
Moraceae Dorstenia gigas – Socotra Dorstenia socotrana – northeastern Socotra
Nyctaginaceae Commicarpus heimerlii – Socotra Commicarpus simonyi – Socotra
Oleaceae
Jasminum fluminense subsp. socotranum – Socotra
Orchidaceae Holothrix socotrana – Socotra
Orobanchaceae Graderia fruticosa – Socotra (Hajhir Mts.) Lindenbergia sokotrana – Socotra Xylocalyx aculeolatus – Socotra Xylocalyx asper – Socotra and Samhah
Phyllanthaceae Andrachne schweinfurthii var. papillosa – Socotra (Khlohat) Meineckia filipes – Socotra Nanorrhinum kuriense – Abd al Kuri and Samhah
Plumbaginaceae Limonium guigliae – Socotra Limonium paulayanum – Socotra Limonium sokotranum – Socotra Plumbago pendula – north-central Socotra Plumbago socotrana – Socotra
Poaceae Andropogon bentii – Socotra Aristida anaclasta – Socotra Dactyloctenium hackelii – Socotra and Abd al Kuri Lepturus calcareus – Socotra Lepturus nesiotes – Socotra Lepturus pulchellus – Socotra and Samhah