ULEX 609 



U. EUROP^EUS, Linnczus. GORSE, FURZE, WHIN. 



A shrub usually 2 to 4 ft. high as seen wild, but occasionally 6 ft. or even 

 more high; excessively spiny. The main branches are hairy, and from them 

 spring numerous short side branches which grow horizontally and always 

 end in a stout, sharp spine, the whole forming an intricate formidable mass. 

 Leaves simple, J to \ in. long, linear, sharply pointed or reduced to mere 

 spines. Flowers produced singly from the leaf-axils of the previous year's 

 shoots, on hairy stalks \ in. long, transforming the end of the branch into 

 a brilliant raceme of gold. Calyx large, hairy, yellow like the petals, per- 

 sistent. Pod f in. long, covered with brown hairs, two- or three-seeded. 



Native of W. and Central Europe, and abundant in the British Isles, 

 where it covers thousands of acres of moor, common, and heath. Whilst 

 April and early May is the time when the gorse is in its full beauty, it 

 commences to flower in February, and odd flowers may be found at almost 

 all times a characteristic on which is based the country saying, " When 

 furze is out of bloom, then is kissing out of fashion." There is but little 

 use for the gorse in gardens. It may be employed for covering dry banks, 

 but even there the double-flowered variety described below is much to be 

 preferred. 



Var. FLORE PLENO. Double-flowered Gorse. In this variety the stamens 

 disappear from the flower, either partially or entirely, and are replaced by 

 petals of varying size. The variety does not produce seed, and must be 

 propagated by cuttings, which should be made of the current season's wood 

 in August, 3 or 4 ins. long, and placed in a cold frame in very sandy soil, 

 and kept close. They will commence to root and grow the following spring. 

 When the roots are i in. long, the young plants should be potted in 3-in. 

 pots, ready for planting out whenever required the following winter. It is 

 slower-growing and more compact in habit than the type, and is in every 

 way superior to it as an ornamental shrub for gardens, lasting longer in 

 flower. Like common gorse, it needs a dry, hungry soil and a sunny 

 position to develop its full beauty. In rich soil it grows rank and does not 

 flower so freely. This variety first appeared in the nursery of Mr John 

 Miller of Bristol, about 1828. 



Var. STRICTUS, Webb (U. strictus, Mackay\ Irish Gorse. A variety of 

 erect, rather columnar growth, of little value in the garden, as it flowers 

 sparsely. Found in Co. Down in the early part of the nineteenth century, 

 native also of Spain. Known also as U. hibernica and U. fastigiata. 



Dried furze was at one time much used in country places for heating 

 bakers' ovens, and is still often woven into hurdles for sheltering cattle, 

 forming a good wind screen, not rubbed against or soon knocked down. 

 Owing to the amount of dead twigs and spines inside the outer living layer, 

 gorse plants are very inflammable during hot summer spells. Gorse, 

 therefore, even the double-flowered variety, should not be planted where 

 its firing would be a source of danger to buildings or even to valuable trees. 



U. GALLII, Planchon. 



A dwarf, sturdy bush allied to U. nanus, and by some writers made a 

 variety of it. In general appearance, however, it more resembles U. europaeus, 

 having the same hairy branches and stout spiny branchlets, but it is much 

 dwarfer, usually under 2 ft. The flowers, each in. long and bright yellow, 

 are borne from August to October; the wing-petals are curved and longer 

 than the keel, the calyx finely downy. Pod to \ in. long, one- or two- 

 seeded. 



