THE GORSE AND THE BROOM 



III- 



the junction of the spines with the thorn- 

 twigs, and, being somewhat crowded 

 together in the upper part of the branches, 

 they form handsome S]nke-hke clusters. 

 The colour of the petals is a golden yellow, 

 of the calyx yellow also, but modified 

 by its dense coating of greenish or brownish 

 hairs. The calyx, not quite so long as 

 the petals, is divided to the base having 

 the appearance of being jointed hke a 

 bivalve sheD, opened to contain the flower. 

 As the pod forms the petals shrivel, whilst 

 the two halves of the calyx change to 

 brown. The pod, which is only a httle 

 longer than the calyx, is also densely 

 coated with hairs, grey-green changing 

 to brown. It contains about 

 five ohve-coloured seeds, hard 

 and polished. These by the 

 drying and sudden sphtting and 

 twisting of the pod, accom- 

 panied by a sharp report as 

 from a miniature pistol, are 

 thrown far. 



The Dwarf Gorse may be 

 regarded as merely a reduced 

 variety of the Common Gorse, 

 though its season of flowering 

 is in late summer and autumn. 

 Its thorns are smaller and more 

 slender. Its flowers are smaller 

 and of a richer golden yellow, 

 best seen and most effective in 

 contrast with the associated 

 heather purple. The calyx, 

 equal in length to the petals, is 

 all but hairless. Spines, thorns 

 and stems are velvety and green, 

 hke those of the Common Gorse. 



The Petty Whin, also known 

 as the Needle Greenweed or 

 Needle Genista, has very much 

 the habit of the Dwarf Gorse, 

 but its branches are more strag- 

 gUng. It grows also in similar 

 situations, on dry heaths or 

 moors. It flowers in June. and. 

 occasionally, again in August 

 or September. It has narrow 

 lance -shaped leaves, but those 

 on the flowering shoots are 

 broader. It is entirely free from 

 hairs on the leaves and stems. 

 It has true thorns, but these 

 do not branch as a rule. They 

 are found mainly on the upper 



part of the stems, and are fine and sharp 

 as needles. They are bent slightly back- 

 wards, perhaps with a view to securing 

 better su})])ort amongst neighbouring 

 growths. Thorns and stems are brown. 

 The flowers in ai)]U'aran<e are more like 

 those of the Broom, though much smaller, 

 displaying plainly the arrangement of the 

 petals as standard, wings and keel. The 

 petals are yelb^w. The calyx is green 

 and hairless, is only about one-third the 

 length of the petals, and is dee])ly divided 

 into two parts, the upper part being 

 again divided showing two teeth, and 

 the lower part also showing three teeth. 

 The hairless pods are broad and inflated ; 



IJUAKK GOKSK, 



