102 THE PBAFLOWER TRIBE. [Ulex. 



are entire or minutely toothed at the top. Stamens all united into a 

 complete sheath. Pod few- seeded, scarcely longer than the calyx. 



A genus of very few species, confined to western and central Europe 

 and north-western Africa. 



Calyx very hairy, with the bracts of the base about a line long . 1. U. europceus. 

 Calyx nearly glabrous, the bracts scarcely perceptible . 2. U. nanus. 



1. U. europseus, Linn. (fig. 227). Furze, Gorse, Whin. A shrub of 2 

 to 3 feet, or even twice that height when old and luxuriant, and more or 

 less hairy, especially on the main branches ; the numerous short, intricate, 

 small branches all ending in a stout thorn. Lower leaves occasionally 

 lanceolate, but the greater number reduced to thorns, 2 to 6 lines long. 

 Flowers about 6 lines long, solitary in the axils of the leaves on the 

 preceding year's shoots, forming showy racemes, intermixed with thorns 

 at the end of the branches. Calyx yellow like the petals and but little 

 shorter, clothed with brownish hairs, with a small, broad bract about a 

 line long on each side at the base, besides a similar bract under the 

 short pedicel. Petals narrow. 



On heaths and sandy and stony wastes in western Europe, extending 

 eastward to northern and central Germany, but not a Mediterranean 

 species. Abundant in England, Ireland, and southern Scotland, more 

 scarce in the north. Fl. spring and early summer, commencing occasion- 

 ally in winter, or even late in autumn. A double flowering variety, and 

 another with compact erect branches, commonly called Irish Furze ( U. 

 strictus) are frequent in gardens. 



2. U. nanus, Forst. (fig. 228). Dwarf P. Very near U. europceus, 

 and perhaps a mere variety. It is of much smaller stature, less hairy, 

 and of a deeper green ; the flowers of a deeper golden yellow, and 

 smaller ; the calyx glabrous, or with only a few short, scattered hairs, 

 and the bracts at its base very much smaller, sometimes quite micro- 

 scopic. 



On heaths and sandy or stony wastes, more strictly western than U. 

 europceus, as it does not cross the Rhine, but often intermixed with that 

 species. Very abundant in Britain. Fl. summer and autumn, whilst the 

 common F. is in fruit. There are two forms, sometimes very distinct, 

 at others running much one into the other ; one, the original U. nanus, 

 found chiefly in the plains of eastern England, is very dwarf and pro- 

 cumbent, with the calyx about 4 lines long ; the other, U. Gallii, Planch, 

 is more erect, with the calyx about 5 lines long, and is more frequent 

 in western England, often covering large tracts in the Welsh mountains. 



II. GENISTA. GENISTA. 



Low branching green shrubs or undershrubs, with simple (or in a 

 very few exotic species trifoliolate) leaves and yellow flowers. Calyx 

 with 5 teeth, the 2 upper ones much longer than the 3 lower. Standard 

 oblong ; keel usually reflexed after flowering. Stamens all united in a 

 complete sheath. Stigma usually oblique. Pod longer than the calyx. 

 Seeds several, not strophiolate. 



A numerous genus chiefly in the Mediterranean region and western 

 Asia, the few British species easily distinguished by their foliage and 

 the shape of the petals. Many exotic species, however, present so 

 much variety, that the general circumscription of the genus, and its 



