1974 



* SPARTfUM acutifolium. 



Sharp- leaved Spanish Broom. 



DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 



Nat. ord. Fabace^ or Leguminos^e, § Papilionace*. 



SPARTIUM, Linn. Calyx membranaceus, spathaceus, supern^ fissus 

 apice quinqucdentatus subbilabiatus. CorollcB vexillum snbrotunduni, complica- 

 tum, carina acuminata et petalis parum agglutinatis bipartibili. Stamina inona- 



delpba. Leyurnen plano-compressum, polyspermimi, eglandulosum. Frutex 



glaher, ramis virgatis, teretibus, foliis paucis lanceolatis, floribus in racemos 

 terminales dispositis distantibus flavis. DC. prodr. 2. 145. 



S. acutifolium ; foliis acuminatis, racemis laxioribus. 



Whether this is more than a variety of Spanish Broom 

 I cannot say. It appears to be a distinct species ; for its 

 leaves are not only longer and taper-pointed (fig. 1.), instead 

 of being rounded at the point (fig. 2.), but the racemes are 

 more lax, and the manner of growth far more graceful. 

 Otherwise it is like the Spanish Broom. It was raised in the 

 Garden of the Horticultural Society from Turkish seeds, and 

 proves a hardy shrub, with fragrant yellow flowers. 



* Spartiuin junceum appears to have been the airapnov of Dioscorides, 

 and the aTraproi' of Aristotle, of which bees were fond ; it is a very different 

 plant from the XivoanapTov of Theophrastus, which certainly was either Lygeum 

 Spartum, or Stipa tenacissima. 



