This plant cannot undoubtedly be considered as amongst the most beautiful of the vegetable productions of New Holland; but nevertheless, from the continuance of its flowering, is very desirable as a greenhouse plant, as it begins to expand its blossoms about December, and from that time till August is seldom seen without flowers. It is a low-growing shrub, seldom exceeding a foot in height, and very branching. Like most plants from Botany Bay, it delights in a light sandy peat soil, is easily propagated by cuttings, and seeds. The drawing was made from a plant in the nursery of Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, who raised it first from seeds in the year 1793. [Illustration] PLATE LXII. GLADIOLUS GRAMINEUS. _Grass-like Gladiolus._ CLASS III. ORDER I. _TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Three Chives. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. COROLLA sexpartita, ringens. STAMINA adscendentia. BLOSSOM with six divisions, gaping. CHIVES ascending. See GLADIOLUS LONGIFLORUS. Plate V. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Gladiolus polystachyus, scapo laxo, spicis capillaribus, flexuosis; foliis ensiformibus; corollæ sexpartitæ, absque tubo. Gladiolus with many spikes, upon a flexible flower stem, spikes hair-like, growing zigzag; leaves sword-shape; blossom of six divisions, without a tube. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The two sheaths of the Empalement. 2. The Seed-bud, Chives, and Pointal (magnified). 3. The Pointal, (magnified). This species of Gladiolus has been described by Thunberg, and from him by Linnæus, in his Suppl. Plant. p. 95, under the specific name it here bears. It is a little straining on the genus to introduce this species into it; as it is deficient in most of the essential characters; having a blossom without a tube, and the petals equal. From the Kew Catalogue we learn it was introduced in the year 1787, by Mr. F. Masson, to the royal gardens; is there said to flower most part of the year: a plant of such character is most desirable, but unfortunately we have never seen it in blossom but at the usual season for the flowers of this tribe; that is, from April till June. The capsules of this plant bear a strong resemblance to those of the Euonymus: generally perfecting their seeds. It is a very hardy bulb, blows early, and may be kept in a pit protected from the frost. [Illustration] PLATE LXIII. USTERIA SCANDENS. _Climbing Usteria._ CLASS XIV. ORDER II. _DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA._ Two Chives longer. Seeds covered. GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX. Perianthium monophyllum, quinquepartitum, persistens; laciniis erectis, subulatis. COROLLA. Monopetala, ringens, tubus ventricosus, basi arcta; limbus bilabiatus, labium _superius_ bifidum, rotundatum, reflexum; labium _inferius_ trifidum, laciniis rotundatis, intermedia minore.