1322 



GENIPA 



GENISTA 



calyx; corolla silky, white, about 1 in. across: berry 

 similar to last, but is "highly commended in cookery" 

 according to Reasoner, by whom the plant was intro. 

 (1914). W. Indies. The fr. is largely used in Trop. 

 Amer. as a preserve under the name "genipop." It is 

 often used as a kind of marmalade and has been 

 called "marmalade-box" in Surinam. N, TAYLOR.! 



GENISTA (ancient Latin name). Leguminosas. 

 Ornamental woody plants chiefly grown for their hand- 

 some yellow, rarely white, flowers. 



Deciduous or half-evergreen, sometimes nearly 

 leafless shrubs, unarmed or spiny: branches usually 

 striped and green: Ivs. alternate, rarely opposite, 

 entire, simple or sometimes 3-foliolate: fls. papiliona- 

 ceous, in terminal racemes or heads, rarely axillary, 

 yellow, rarely white; calyx 2-lipped, with the upper 

 lip deeply 2-parted; style incurved: pod globular to 

 narrow-oblong, 1- to many-seeded, -dehiscent, rarely 

 indehiscent. About 100 species in Eu., Canary Isls., 

 N. Afr. and W. Asia. Allied to Cytisus, but without 

 callose appendage at the base of the seeds. The Genista 

 of florists is Cytisus. 



The genistas are ornamental, usually low shrubs with 

 showy flowers, appearing profusely in spring or sum- 

 mer, and followed by small, insignificant pods. None 

 of the species is quite hardy North, but G. tinctoria, 

 G. pilosa, G. germanica and some other European spe- 

 cies will do well in a sheltered position or if somewhat 

 protected during the winter, while the others are more 

 suited for cultivation in southern regions. They are 

 essentially plants suited to drier climates and most of 

 them do well in California. They are adapted for 

 covering dry, sandy banks and rocky slopes, and for 

 borders and rockeries. They grow in any well-drained 

 soil, and like a sunny position. Propagate by seeds, 

 sown in spring, also by layers and by greenwood cut- 

 tings under glass. 



INDEX. 



*etnensis, 9. 

 cinerea, 10. 

 data, 14. 

 ephedroides, 8. 

 ferox, 3. 

 florida, 12. 

 germanica, 5. 



hispanica, 6. 

 humilior, 14. 

 mantica, 14. 

 Martinii, 4. 

 monospenna, 1. 

 pilosa, 15. 

 plena, 14. 



polygalsefolia, 13, 14. 

 Bagittalis, 16. 

 sibirica, 14. 

 sphaerocarpa, 2. 

 tinctoria, 14. 

 umbellata, 7. 

 virgata, 11, 14. 



A. Color of fls. white. 



1. monosperma, Lam. (Retama monosperma, Boiss.). 

 Shrub, to 10 ft. or more with slender grayish branches, 

 almost leafless: Ivs. small, simple or rarely 3-foliolate, 

 generally linear or linear-spatulate, silky: fls. white, 

 fragrant, in short lateral racemes; corolla silky; calyx 



Eurple: pod broadly oval, 1-2-seeded. Feb.- April, 

 pain, N. Afr. B.M. 683. B.R. 1918. Gn. 55, p. 213; 

 62, p. 15. G.W. 15, p. 412. 



AA. Color of fls. yellow. 



B. Twigs striped, not winged. (Nos. 2-15.) 



c. Pod globular, indehiscent, 1-seeded. 



2. sphaerocarpa, Lam. Similar to the preceding, 

 but lower and more upright, leafless: fls. yellow, very 

 small, in numerous panicled racemes; corolla gla- 

 brous. May, June. Spain, N. Afr. 



cc. Pod oval to linear, dehiscent. 



D. Shrubs spiny. 



E. Infl. racemose. 



P. Spines stout: habit upright, to 6 ft. 



3. ferox, Poir. Erect shrub, to 6 ft., with many stout 

 spines: Ivs. simple, rarely 3-foliolate, oblong to obovate, 

 almost glabrous: fls. in numerous terminal racemes 

 along the branches; corolla glabrous, over H m - long, 

 fragrant: pod linear, densely silky, many-seeded. 

 Spring, in Calif, in autumn and winter. N. Afr. B.R. 

 368. 



FF. Spines slender: habit decumbent to upright, to 2 ft. 

 4. Martinii, Verguin & Soulie (G. Scorpius x G. Vil- 

 larsii). Decumbent shrub: branchlets tomentose: Ivs. 

 linear-lanceolate, simple, whitish pubescent on both 

 sides, small: fls. axillary, forming terminal slender 

 racemes; calyx pubescent; standard and keel silky. 

 S. France; natural hybrid. Cult, in Calif. 



5. germanica, Linn. Erect or as- 

 cending spiny shrub, to 2 ft., with 

 viilous branches: Ivs. elliptic-oblong, 

 cih'ate: fls. small, in 1-2-in. long 

 racemes: pod oval, viilous, few-seeded. 

 June, July. Cent, and S. Eu. R.F. 

 G. 22:2085. 



EE. Infl. head-like. 



6. hispanica, Linn. Densely 

 branched shrub, about 1 ft. high, with 

 numerous thin spines: Ivs. ovate- 

 lanceolate, pubescent, not exceeding 

 Kin.: fls. in 3-12-fld. short head-like 

 racemes: pod rhombic, hirsute. May, 

 June. Spain, S. France, N. W. Italy. 

 L.B.C. 18:1738. R.H. 1888:36. Gn. 

 60, p. 395; 62, p. 95. G.M. 45:69. 

 M.D.G. 1907:388. Hardy in W. 

 N. Y. 



DD. Shrubs unarmed. 

 E. Fls. in terminal heads, sessile. 



7. umbellata, Poir. Erect shrub, to 

 2 feet, with rigid branches, forming a 

 dense bush : Ivs. simple or 3-foliolate, 

 lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, silky, 

 K-^in. long: fls. in 10-30-fld. umbel- 

 like heads; corolla silky, over ^in. 

 long: pod linear-oblong, tomentose, 

 2-5-seeded. April, May. Spain. 



EE. Fls. in racemes, or axillary. 



F. Habit upright. Nos. 8-14. 



G. Branches rigid: pod 1-seeded, silky. 



8. ephedroides, DC. Erect shrub, 

 to 3 ft., with rigid branches, almost 

 leafless: Ivs. sessile, simple or 3-f olio- 

 late, linear, almost glabrous: fls. in 

 many-fld. terminal racemes, small; 

 standard much shorter than keel: pod 

 oval, 1-seeded, silky. April, May. 



Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily. 



GG. Branches slender: pod 

 1-10-seeded. 



H. The fls. axillary on last 

 year's branchlets. 



9. aetnensis, DC. Shrub, to 6 

 ft., with slender branches, nearly 

 leafless: Ivs. simple, small, linear, 

 silky: fls. axillary, forming loose, 

 terminal racemes, fragrant; keel 

 snorter than the standard: pod 

 glabrous at maturity, oblique- 

 oval, 1-3-seeded. June, July. 

 Sicily, Sardinia. B.M. 2674. 



10. cinerea, DC. Shrub, to 3 

 ft. : branches grooved, pubescent 

 while young, sparsely leafy: lys. 



simple, lanceolate, pubescent on both sides, H~H m - 

 long: fls. 1-3, axillary, forming terminal racemes to 8 

 in. long; calyx pubescent; keel pubescent outside: pod 

 2-5-seeded, silky. April-June. S. Eu., N. Afr. B.M. 

 8086. G.M. 52:511;- 53:507. This species does not 

 seem to be in the trade at present, but it deserves 

 attention on account of its copious, brilliant yellow 

 fls. 



1624. Dyer's Greenweed, 

 Genista tinctoria. 



