PULSE FAMILY 



black pods hold the rattling seeds or, having split open, 

 they still hang in lonely emptiness on the branches. 

 Numerous, small, dark green leaves clothe the upright 

 branches, which look in their stiffness like the long bristles 

 of the brooms that the street-cleaners use in London. 



While a showy plant, it is not a desirable one for culti- 

 vation, because in the bright sunlight the flowers emit a 

 very disagreeable odour. 



With the presence of the Scotch or Irish Broom on Nan- 

 tucket, an interesting story is connected. Not far from 

 Hummock Pond lived, about 1860, an old Irishman by 

 the name of John O'Connell. A friend said to him one 

 day that he was going to visit the Old Country and asked 

 what he might bring to Mr. O'Connell. The Irishman 

 begged for a few seeds of Gorse and of Broom. The Gorse 

 has scarcely spread from the O'Connell farm, but the Broom 

 has spread practically into all parts of the Island. In this 

 it has been helped by an enthusiastic "off-islander" who 

 planted the seeds wherever she might happen to be driving. 



LEGUMINOS-E) PULSE FAMILY 



Ulex europceus, L. 

 Yellow Gorse, 



Furze, 

 Sometimes throughout whole year. Whin, 



Prickly Broom. 



Ulex: an ancient name used by Pliny for some not cer- 

 tainly identified plant. 

 Europceus: Latin for European. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil. 



THE SHRUB: two feet to six feet high; much branched; the 

 branchlets very leafy, tipped with yellow-green spines; 

 the plant more or less covered with fine, soft hairs. 



THE LEAVES: alternate; usually in the form of prickles, 

 but sometimes the lowest leaf-like and lanceolate; tipped 

 with yellow spines and white hairs of variable length. 



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