DIADELPHIA-DECANDRIA. Genista. '263 



Shrubs of humble growth ; sometimes armed with strong, 

 simple or compound, thorns ; branches in some winged. 

 Leaves alternate, simple, entire. FL small, yellow, axil- 

 lary, solitary. The supposed species with ternate leaves 

 appear to me doubtful as to their genus. We have none 

 of them in Britain. 



1. G. tinctoria. Dyer's Green-weed. Wood-waxen. 



Leaves lanceolate, smooth. Branches round, striated, erect, 

 without thorns. 



G. tinctoria. Linn. Sp. PL 998. WilUl v. 3. 939. FL Br. 754. 

 EngL Bot. V. 1. t. 44. Hook. Scot. 21 1 . FL Dan. t. 520. Do<k 

 Pempt. 763./ Ehrh. Arh. 27. 



G. n.350. HalL nist.v.\.\D2. 



Genistella. Riv. Tetrap. Irr. t.67f. 1. 



G. tinctoria. Rail Sijn. 474. Gcr. Em. 1316./. 



G. infectoria vulgi. Lob. Ic. v. 2. 89./ 



Tinctoiius flos. Fucks. Hist. 808./ Ic. 407/ Dalcch. HisL 

 175./ Bank. Hist. V. l.p.2. 391./ 



In pastures, thickets, and the dry borders of fields. 



Shrub. July, August. 



Root woody, creeping widely. Stems depressed, with numcions 

 ascending, rarely recumbent, straight, furrowed, leafy, smooth 

 branches. Leaves scattered, nearly sessile, elliptic-lanceolate, 

 convex, of a deep shining green, a little hairy at the edges and 

 midrib, at least while young. FL on short axillary stalks, 

 crowded about the summits of the branches, with a pair of small 

 awl-shaped bracteas a little below the base of tlie deeply cut, 

 smooth, angular cal^r. Pet. of a uniform bright yellow. Odd 

 stamen very deeply separated. Legume nearly cylindrical, with 

 numerous seeds. 



The whole plant affords the dyer a good yellow colour, and with 

 Woad a good green. Ray says the milk of cows feeding u))on 

 it is rendered bitter, which flavour is communicated to butter 

 and cheese. 



2. G. pUosa. Hairy Green-weed. 



Leaves obovate-lanceolate, obtuse ; hairy beneatli. Stem 

 tuberculated, prostrate, without thorns. Calyx and 

 llower-stalks silky. 



G. i)ilosa. Linn.Sp.PL[)\)\). inil<Lv.3.0i\. Fl.Iir. ?:>:>. EngL 

 Bot. V. 3. /. 208. Rose Elem. append. 4.")2. t. 3. Dicks. H. Siir. 

 fasc. 1 6. 1 (i. Jartp Anstr. t. 208. FL Dan. f. 1 22.") ; too upright. 

 ^ Ehrh. All). (i(i. 



G. n.3.")I. U'dL Hist.v. 1. 153. 



(J. minima. Dnhih. Uist. 173 /". 



