PLATE CXLVI. 



PSORALEA ACULEATA. 



Prickly Psoralea. 



CLASS XVIL ORDER IV. 



DIADELPHIJ DECANDRIA. Chives in two fets. Ten Chives. 



GENERIC CHARACTEK. 



Calyx. Perianthium monopbyllum, tubercu- 



lis punftatum, quinquelidum; lacinijs acu- 



lis, Kqualibus, perfirtentibusj infima da- 



plo loiigiore. 

 Corolla papilionacea, pentapetala. 



Fexillum subrotundum, emarginatunij al- 



furgens. 



ylUe lunulatac, obtulae, parvae. 



Carina dipetala, limulata, oblula. 



Stamina. Filatnenta diadelpha (fimplex feta- 



ceum et novem coalita), adlcendentia. An- 



therae fubrotundae. 

 PisTiLLUM. Gerraen lineaie. Stylus I'ubula- 



tus, adfcendens, longitudine liaminum. 



Stigma obtufum. 

 Pericarpium. Legumen longitudine calycis, 



comprefl'um, adfcendens, acuminatum. 

 Semen unicum, reniforme. 



Empalement. Cup one leaf, dotted over with 

 fmall tubercles, and five-cleft; the feg- 

 ments equal and remaining, the lower one 

 twice the length of the others. 



Blossom butterfly-lhaped, five petalled. 



Standard nearly round, notched at the end, 

 turned upwards. 



Wings half-moon-(haped, obtufe, fmall. 

 Keel two-petalled, half-moon- fliaped, ob- 

 tufe. 



Chives. Threads in two fets (a finglc one 

 like a briftle, and nine united), afcending. 

 Tips nearly round. 



Pointal. Seed-bud linear. Shaft awl-fliaped, 

 afcending, the length of the chives. Sum- 

 mit blunt. 



Seed-vessel. A pod the length of the cup, flat- 

 tened, afcending, and tapered to the point. 



Seed, one, kidney-lliaped. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Pforalea foliis ternalis, minimis, confertillimis, 

 recurvatis, in fpinulam definentibus. 



Pforalea with three-leafletted leaves, very fmall, 

 very crowded, bent back, and ending in a 

 fmall fpine. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The Empalement. 



2. The Standard of a Rloffom. 



3. One of the Wings of the fame. 



4. The two Petals of the Keel. 



5. The Chives, a little magnified. 



The 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 1/74. But although 

 fo long a fojourner with us, it is not found in many colleftions, 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 

 hothoule, early in March, a few plants have been procured occasionally. Our drawing was mad<- 

 from a moft beautiful plant in the Clapham Colleftion, lali year, in the month of Augurt. 



