THE GENISTA. 



PROFESSOR WILLIAM KERR HIGLEY, 

 Secretary of The Chicago Academy of Sciences. 



The green earth sends its incense up 

 From every mountain-shrine, 



From every flower and dewy cup 

 That greeteth the sunshine. 



Whittier. 



T 



HE more one studies plant life 

 with reference to its structure, 

 its mode of growth, its uses and 

 the changes which may be wrought by- 

 man to adapt it to the requirements of 

 his taste, the more one finds it impos- 

 sible to repress the words — Wonderful! 

 Beautiful! For there is no plant so 

 insignificant as not to have something 

 attractive about it. 



The countries adjacent to the Med- 

 iterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean 

 produce a profusion of forms noted 

 alike for their beauty and economic 

 value. 



In this region, with about forty-five 

 sister species, is found the plant of our 

 illustration. Carried from its home, it 

 is now a common decoration of the 

 greenhouse and private conservatory. 

 Its sisters are of economic value. 

 Some are used for garden hedges, 

 some to arrest the ever drifting sands 

 of the seashore, and some to furnish a 

 tanning principle. Cattle browse upon 

 some species and all contain more or 

 less of a yellow dye called scopari?i. 



These plants belong to the pea or 

 pulse family {LegJiminos(B) , which also 

 includes the clovers, the peanut, the 

 locusts, the vetches, the acacias, the 

 bean, the lupine, the tamarind, log- 

 wood, and licorice. 



It has been estimated that this fam- 

 ily contains over four hundred and 

 sixty genera and about seven thou- 

 sand species. Here are grouped herbs, 

 shrubs, vines, and trees, the fruit of 

 which is a pod similar in stucture to 

 that of the bean, and usually with 

 irregular flowers. In this family the 

 beasts of the field, as well as man, find 

 some of their most valuable foods and 

 nearly all of the species are without 

 harmful qualies. The name of the 

 family is derived from the Latin word 

 legumen, meaning /z^/.f^. 



The flowers of this group of plants 

 are peculiarly adapted to cross-fertili- 

 zation. Their colors, their odors, or 

 the abundant nectar secreted by them 

 attract numerous insects, and, while 

 these little animals are providing for 

 themselves Nature has also provided 

 for the best interests of the plant, as 

 the pollen scattered upon their bodies 

 during their visit to a flower, is earned 

 to another flower of like kind, thus 

 causing a cross between the two plants, 

 which results in a better grade of 

 seeds. 



The botanical name of the genista 

 in the illustration is Cytisus cafiane?isis, 

 a native of the Canary Islands. The 

 origin of the generic name, Cytisus, is 

 obscure, though it is generally consid- 

 ered to be the ancient Greek name of 

 the plant, and has its origin in the fact 

 that the first species was discovered 

 on the island of Cythrus, one of the 

 Cyclades, a group of islands south of 

 Greece. The specific name is derived 

 from the name of the island where the 

 plant is native. 



The pure yellow flowers are grouped 

 along the branches in terminal clusters. 

 They are sweet-scented, showy and 

 frequently so numerous as to make the 

 plant appear like a mass of yellow 

 blooms. 



The leaves are very small, consisting 

 of three leaflets similar in form to 

 those of the common clove. The sur- 

 face of the leaves, and of the young 

 twigs, is covered b}' fine and soft hairs, 

 causing a hoary appearance. 



The plant is a shrub varying in 

 height from a few inches to that of 

 a man. It bears numerous and crowded 

 branches. 



Some of the other species of this 

 interesting genus of plants bear purple 

 or white flowers, and some obtain the 

 stature of trees. 



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