LEGUMENIFERZ. 5 
more evident ones. Wings straight nearly to the apex, where they 
are folded over ; petals of the keel cohering very slightly, and readily 
separable, with a shaggy strip along their Jower margin. Pod 
#inch long, dark brown, nearly black, coarsely punctate, thickly 
covered with long, shaggy, bristly, fulvous-brown hairs. Seeds 
olive-brown, ovoid-compressed, with a roundish-oval depression at 
the hilum. Spines and leaves dark dull green, stem and primary 
spines rather thinly hairy. 
The variety 8, which is known by the name of the “Irish 
Furze,” is now acknowledged by Professor Babington to be merely 
a variety of the common Furze, as it does not always retain its 
characters when raised from seed. 
Common Furze, Gorse, Whin. 
French, Ajone (Europe. German, Huoropiiischer Gaspeldorn, Heckensame. 
We are told, on good authority, that the Furze is sometimes spelt Furres, and 
isa name of obscure origin, possibly coming from ji, these bushes being, like the 
coniferous trees, used for firewood or fuel. Our own notion would rather be that the 
bright yellow flowers, seeming almost flame-like in their brilliancy, suggested the name 
“fire” or “furze” bush. 
The beauty of this attractive but treacherous bush invites unwary travellers to 
pull its branches, and to regale themselves with the delicious perfume of its blossoms ; 
but they soon find that its prickly stems are an ample protection against those who 
covet its beauty. A poet observes :— 
“ And what more noble than the vernal Furze 
With golden baskets hung? Approach it not, 
For every blossom has a troop of swords 
Drawn to defend it.” 
The Furze is not a very hardy plant, although we constantly see it on open com- 
mons and wastes. Severe frosts are very liable to injure it, and during some of our 
sharp winters, such as that of 1861, whole fields of Furze perished. Linneus is 
said to have lamented that he could not keep it alive in Sweden even in a green- 
house. It was one of his favourite plants, and it is related that, when he first 
visited England and saw it in flower on Hounslow Heath, he fell on his knees 
and thanked God for having created a plant so beautiful. The same story is also 
told of Dillenius; so that we may perhaps doubt its authenticity. The Furze is 
thought to be the Scorpius of Theophrastus, and the Ulex of Pliny. By botanists 
before the days of Linnzeus it was known as a Broom, and called Genista spinosa. 
Linnzeus restored to it the name of Ulex, by which it has ever since been recognized. 
In France, the Gorse or Whin is generally used for burning, for which purpose it is 
cut down every few years in places where it grows naturally. In Surrey and other 
counties it is used largely as fuel, especially by bakers in their ovens, and is cultivated 
for that purpose, and cut down every three years. When burned it yields a quantity 
of ashes rich in alkali, which are sometimes used for washing, either in the form of 
a solution or lye, or mixed with clay, and made into balls as a substitute for soap. 
The ashes form an excellent manure, and it is not uncommon, where the ground is 
covered with Furze bushes, to burn them down to improve the land, and to secure a 
