180 DYERS GREEN-WEED. 



to adds that the trade is not so common now, 

 and is discom^aged by the farmers. This plant 

 is seldom eaten by cattle. It grows in most 

 countries of Europe, and is, by people in 

 villages, used as a medicine for various mala- 

 dies. 



We have three wild species of Genista. The 

 Needle Green-weed, or Petty Whin {Genista 

 Aiiglica), is not unfrequent on moist heaths 

 and moory grounds. It is a low shrub ; its 

 stems are tough, about a foot high, and 

 studded at intervals with sharp thorns. The 

 flowers are very similar to those of the 

 engraving. The Hairy Green-weed {Genista 

 pilosa) is a more rare plant. It has no thorns, 

 and its yellow flowers are smaller than those 

 of the other species. They bloom in May, 

 and again in Autuma. The stems are much 

 gnarled and branched, and the leaves are often 

 covered on the under surface with silky hairs. 



The genus received its name from the Celtic 

 Gen, a small bush, whence also is derived the 

 French name of the plant, Ge7iet. From the 

 same origin is the name of the Plantagenet 

 family. 



