PLATE CXLVI. 
PSORALEA ACULEATA. 
AS Prickly Psoralea. 
CLASS XVII ORDER IV. 
DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA.. Chives in two fets. Ten Chives. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Catyx. Perianthium monophyllum, tubercu- EmpALeMENT. Cup one leaf, dotted over with 
jis punétatum, quinquefidum; laciniis acu- mall tubercles, and five-cleft; the feg- 
tis, aequalibus, perfiftentibus; infima du- ments equal and remaining, the lower one 
lo longiore. twice the length of the others. 
Coxoxxa papilionacea, pentapetala. Bossom butterfly-fhaped, five-petalled. 
Vexillum subrotundum, emarginatum, af- tandard nearly round, notched at the end, 
furgens. turned upwards. 
Ale \unulate, obtufe, parve. Wings half-moon- thaped, obtufe, fmall. 
Carina dipetala, lunulata, obtufa. 20s Red. two-petalled, half-moon-fhaped, ob- 
tufe. 
Sramina. Filamenta diadelpha (Simplex feta- Cuives. Threads in two fets (a fingle one 
ceum et novem coalita), aticoeate An- like a briftie, and nine united), afcending. ~ 
there fubrotunde. Tips nearly round. 
Pistittum. Germen lineare. Stylus fubula- Pointat. Seed-bud linear. Shaft awl-fhaped, 
tus, adfcendens, longitudine , ftaminum. afcending, the length of the chives. Sum- 
Stigma obtufum. mit blunt 
PERICARPIUM. Legumen longitudine calycis, Seep-vesseL. A pod the length of the cup, flat- 
compreffum, adfcendens, acuminatum. -  tened, afcending, and tapered to the point. 
SEMEN unicum, reniforme. © Seep, one, kidney-fhaped. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Pforalea with three-leafletted leaves, very fmall,. 
very crowded, bent back, and ending | ina 
fmall fpine. 
Pforalea foliis ternatis, minimis, confertiflimis, 
recuryatis, in {pinulam definentibus, 
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 
The Empalement. 
The Standard of a Bloffom. 
One of the Wings of the fame. 
The two Petals of the Keel. 
The Chives, a little magnified. 
oF S Be 
Tue Prickly Pforalea is not a new plant in our collections; for, it was firft introduced by Mr. F. Maf- 
fon to the Royal Gardens at Kew, as we learn from the Catalogue, in the year 1774. But although 
fo long a fojourner with us, it is not found in many collections, owing to the difficulty in its increafe, 
as it feldom ripens its feeds; and cuttings, the only remaining method, but seldom fucceed ; although 
by taking them from a vigorous growing plant and giving them the affiftance of the bark-bed of the © 
_ hothoufe, early in March, a few plants have been procured occasionally. Our drawing was made 
- from a moft beautiful plant in the Clapham Collection, laft year, in the month of Auguft. 
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