92 LEGUMINOSsE. [ULEX. 



2. U'liEX, L. FURZE, WHIN, GORSE. 



Densely spinous shrubs. Leaves 3-foliolate in seedling plants, in mature 

 spinescent or reduced to small scales, exstipulate. Flowers yellow, axillary ; 

 bracts small. Calyx membranous, coloured, 2-partite, upper lobe 2- lower 

 minutely 3-toothed. Petals shortly clawed ; keel-petals and wingjs obtuse. 

 Stamens as in Genista. Style smooth, stigma capitate ; ovules many. 

 Pod 2-valved, 1 -celled. DISTRIB. W. Europe to Italy, N.W. Africa ; 

 species 12. ETYM. doubtful. 



1. U. eiiropse'us, L. ; bracts large ovate lax, calyx hairs spreading, 

 teeth minute, wings longer than the keel. 



Heaths, &c., N. to Shetland ; rarer in the North ; ascends to 2,100 ft. in 

 Wales; Channel Islands; fl. Feb.-March, and Aug.-Sept. Bush 2-5 ft., 

 rounded ; spines 1-2 in., straight. Leaves small ; leaflets hairy ; spines 

 sometimes furnished with minute 1-foliolate leaves. Flowers fin., borne on 

 the spines, bright yellow, odorous. Calyx yellow, hairs black. Pod in., 

 black, covered with brown hairs, dotted. DISTRIB. Denmark to Italy, 

 Canaries and Azores. 



U. europce'us proper; branches spreading, spines furrowed rigid. VAR. U. 

 stric'tus, Mackay ; branches erect compact, spines soft 4-gonous. Lord 

 Londonderry's park, Down. Irish Furze. 



2. U. na'nus; Forster ; bracts minute, calyx with appressed pubescence, 

 teeth lanceolate, wings longer or shorter than the keel. 



Heaths and commons, from Ayr and Northuuibd. southd. ; Ireland ; fl. July- 



Nov. Much smaller than U. europceus. Stems 1-3 ft. Spines |-1| iu. 



Flowers ^ in., more racemose. Pods persist till next season. DISTRIB. 



Belgium and France. 

 U. NA'NTJS proper ; branches procumbent drooping, primary spines weak short. 



Chiefly in S. England ; not in Ireland; Channel Islands. (S.E. France). 

 Sub-sp. U. GAI/LII, Planch. ; branches ascending, primary spines rigid. 



Heaths and downs in the West, common ; ascends to 2,000 ft. in Ireland. 



(S.W. France). 



3. CYT'ISUS, L. BROOM. 



Shrubs, rarely spinous. Leaves 1-3-foliolate or 0. Stipules minute. 

 Flowers yellow, purple, or white, not honeyed. Calyx 2-lipped ; upper 

 lip minutely 2- lower 3-toothed. IVings oblong, and keel obtuse, deflexed 

 (as in Genista) after flowering, their claws free. Stamens as in Genista. 

 Style incurved or coiled, smooth* stigma terminal ; ovules many. Pod 

 flat, elongate, 2-valved, many-seeded, somewhat septate. Seeds with a 

 tumid funicle. DISTRIB* Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia. ETYM. obscure. 



1. C. scoparius, Link ; branchlets and obovate leaflets silky. Spar- 



tium, L. Sarothamnus, Koch. 



Heaths, commons, &c., from Caithness southd. ; ascends to 2,000 ft. in the 

 Highlands ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; fl. May-June. Shrubby, 2-6 ft., 

 hairy ; branches green, angular, furrowed. Leaves shortly petioled ; leaflets 



