Of this genus of plants there are as yet known but four species. The present one, from its specific title, might naturally be supposed to possess a magnificent exterior of unrivalled beauty; which is by no means the case: for although it is a grand plant when in fine bloom, the term of gloriosa must certainly be regarded as a metaphysical hyperbole, very inapplicable to any plant ever so beautiful. It is indigenous to North America, and of great utility to the natives, who make cords from the stringy texture of the leaves, and use it in the fabrication of their houses, to fasten the ends of them together. Their swinging beds, called Hamacks, are also said to be made of the same materials; and most probably the sailor’s bed, so well known by the appellation of Hammock, derives its title from the Hamack of the Indians. It is easily increased from the young shoots, which become flowering plants in about five years in the open ground: but if kept in the green-house, it might remain for twenty years without blooming, for want of sufficient air and sun to bring it to maturity. Our figure are was made from a plant ten feet high, in luxuriant bloom, at Hedsor Lodge, the seat of Lord Boston. [Illustration] PLATE CCCCLXXIV. PSORALEA PINNATA. _Winged-leaved Psoralea._ CLASS XVII. ORDER IV. _DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA._ Two Brotherhoods. Ten Chives. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX longitudine leguminis. Stamina diadelpha. Legumen monospermum, sub-rostratum, evalve. EMPALEMENT the length of the pod. Chives diadelphous. Pod one-seeded, beaked, and valveless. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. PSORALEA pinnata, foliis patentibus apice acutis, recurvatis: floribus axillaribus, pedunculis longis. PSORALEA with winged leaves, spreading, sharp-pointed, and recurved. The flowers grow from the axillæ of the leaves upon long footstalks. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The empalement. 2. The standard of the blossom. 3. One of the wings. 4. One of the same shown from the inside. 5. The chives. 6. The seed-bud and pointal. The Psoralea pinnata is a very ornamental plant for the conservatory, and certainly deserves a coloured representation. At present there are only two uncoloured engravings of it extant: one in the Flora tetrapetala Rivinus, No. 5.; the other in Hermann’s Hortus Lugdunensis, tab. 273. The Psoraleas are a well marked natural genus, and appear much more characteristic of each other than many of the Papilonaceous genera. Our drawing was made from a fine specimen received from the collection of the Hon. W. Irby. [Illustration] PLATE CCCCLXXV. SERAPIAS CORDIGERA. _Heart-bearing Serapias._ CLASS XX. ORDER I. _GYNANDRIA DIANDRIA._ Chives on the Pointal. Two Chives. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. COROLLA 5 petala, ringens: petalis conniventibus: labello nectarii ecalcarato: lamina deflexa: antheræ styli longitudine, adnatæ.