Peas and Clover 149 
The Furze (Ulex europeus) differs from Genista in 
possessing a very large yellow calyx, divided into two 
lobes and covered with dark hairs. The wings inter- 
lock with the keel, and the flower explodes lke 
Genista when a bee alights, tempted by the sweet 
odour which the flower exhales. The Furze, of 
which we have also a smaller species, the Cat Whin 
(U. nanus), is interesting as being 
a large evergreen flowering shrub 
without leaves, but which is exceed- 
ingly prosperous in spite of that 
defect. Asa young seedling it puts 
out a few of the trefoils with which 
its ancestors were doubtless clothed, 
but which later generations have 
been glad to exchange for sharp 
spines wherewith to prick the 
muzzles of browsing mammals that 
would otherwise have ended the 
race. The larger spines are similarly 
metamorphosed shoots, but many of 
the smaller ones still retain their 
three-parted character, for on either 
side a still smaller spine is produced. 
Another point of interest will be 
found in the little black hairy pods 
which succeed the flowers and con- 
tain the hard, shiny seeds. When 
these are perfectly ripe and the pods 
quite dry, the two valves separate with a snap, and 
each curls up so quickly that the seeds are flung 
away with force. On any sunny summev’s day, if 
one is sitting beside a Furze-clump, the crackling of 
Seedling Furze 
