170 LEGUMINOS^. 



LEGUMINOS^. 



HERBA SCOPARII. 



(Sp 



Cucumina vet Summitates 8coj)aHi ; Broom Tops ; F. Genit a halais; 



G. Besenginster, Pfriemenhraut 



Botanical Origin 



\ '?Q^?^"/i'^i^^ ^^%aris VVimmer), the Common Broom, a woody 

 RJirub, 6 to 6 feet high, grows gregariously in sandy thickets and un- 

 cultivated places throughout Great Britain, and "Western and temperate 

 iNortliem J^^urope. In continental Europe it is plentiful in the valley of 

 tne Kliine up to the Swiss frontier, in Southern Germany and in Silesia, 

 outdoes not ascend the Alps, and is absent from many parts of Central 

 and ^.astern Europe, Polonia for instance. According to Ledebour, it is 

 round in Central and Southern Russia and on the eastern side of the 

 species ''''^' ■^'^ Sou<^^^ern Europe its place is supplied by other 



Woe^'^^°A?'~x-f'"°"" ^^^ ^^""^ ^^^^ this plant is chiefly a native of 

 pwf?' ^°''^^^™ and Central Europe, it is improbable that the 

 Classical authors were acquainted with it ; and for the same reason the 



Vr^ZT A .^^'^^^ ^^'^^^^^^ ^^^^<^ers may not always apply to the 

 7uZT ''°^''^- ^^th *hi« reservation, we may state that broom 

 r,. fl+ • ?'?'f Genista, Genesta, or Gemestra is mentioned in the 

 eai est printed herbals, as that of Passau/ 1485, the Eortus Saniiatis, 



Tf t 1 I • ?/ ^'"'^^^ Pointed at Southwark in 1526, and othei-s. 



botnn l^'^'^'' 1'^ ^^°''^^ as figured and described by the German 



TrZ.« Vf •^H^''''''''='^°S^'^t^ <^f t^e 16th century, like Brunfels, Fuchs, 

 Aiagus, Valerius Cordus r<'nAn;=fo n^„„i^.„"N „i.i .iu.^„ "R.-nmn was 



used in ancient ^ncr 

 "Meddygon Myddvai.^ 



Broom was 

 the Welsh 



arisincr" ° -tlenry VIII. "against surfets and diseases 



Broom was the 



Norman sovereigns of 



let, 

 the 



Eno-lnnri ^ 1 •, .^^^^"-^m 01 tnose ot the JNorm£ 



count of fT''f^- .^'^^ ^'''^'y ^^^ "Handsome," or " Btantage' 

 comrnon ^T"" %^'^ '^•^' ^1^^)' ^^o was in the habit of wearing .«>- 

 common broom of his country, the "planta genista," in his helmet. 



wirv w!iF^^°V'^^^ Common Broom has numerous straight ascending 

 wh?ch tho '' ^^^^P^y 5-angled and devoid of spines. The leaves, of 

 on a netiolhffl ^'' ^""'f^ ^^ ^^^^^ 1«°S' consist of 3 obovate leaHets 

 the le^ave't I '^'''" ^'"^^^- ^^^°^ards the extremities of the twigs, 



leaflet nearlv ^""'1 ''^l^'?^ ^^^ generally reduced to a single ova 

 with Ion riL?f''- • ^^" ^'^^'^« ^S^n young are clothed on both sides 

 ^^^1 long leddish hairs; these under the microscope are seen each to 



2 



316. 



c:^^£S&rL >■■ „... . • ^e .,ru *„*„.;, « edition I»00 



» 



Argentorati, cai?. xv. 



