190 WHIN: GORSE 



the hardened apex : i.e. they are true 

 thorns, often themselves bearing buds and 

 leaves. 



(a) Shoots and twigs slender and green, with 

 sharp spines prominently in evidence, and 

 obscuring the minute buds and leaf-scars. 

 Small, much branched bushes. 



* Twigs round glabrous ; spines slender, 



recurved, simple or rarely branched, 1 J 

 3 cm. long, glabrous. 



Genista anglica, L. Petty Whin. The lower parts 

 and flowering twigs may be spineless. Twigs covered 

 with brown membranous skin, and striate when young. 

 The spines are true branch- thorns. 



** Twigs green, rilled and velvety, as are 

 also the branched thorns which are 3 6 

 cm. or more long. 



Ulex europceus, L. Furze, Gorse. As already stated 

 on p. 145 the Gorse is evergreen as regards its branch 

 system, but the minute leaves soon fall or are developed 

 as spines. It is a larger shrub than Genista, and velvety 

 pilose, otherwise with resemblances to the latter. The 

 same applies to U. nana. 



(/3) Twigs woody, bearing stout spines, less 

 numerous and prominent, and the buds 

 and leaf -scars more in evidence. 



* Buds and twigs bronzed with shining 



silvery or coppery scaly hairs ; buds 

 obovoid, lobed or depressed at the apex ; 

 showing two concavo-convex scales ; 

 spines simple, sharp, from the leaf-axils 

 or terminal. Leaf-scar very small with 

 one minute leaf-trace. 



