XLVII. 
THE LABURNUM. 
THIs tree is the largest species of the very ornamental genus 
Cytisus of the natural order Leguminacee. It belongs to 
Monadelphia Decandria in the Linnean system. Two kinds 
are common throughout Britain, Cytisus Laburnum (L.), and 
C. L. alpinus (Miller), the Alpine or Scotch Laburnum. The 
latter yields the finest timber ; in other respects the kinds are 
so similar that they may be treated as one. 
The laburnum is a native of the mountains of France, Ger- 
many, Switzerland, and Italy, and is not indigenous to any 
part of Britain. It was introduced into this country at the 
close of the sixteenth century. It is a low deciduous tree, 
with trifoliate leaves, and seldom exceeds the height of twenty 
feet, except when situated on rich soil, and sheltered and 
nursed among trees of taller growth, where it often attains 
a height of from thirty to forty feet. Like many of our low 
trees, it grows vigorously during the first few years of its age. 
It is perfectly hardy, and luxuriates for some years in almost 
any description of ground, and in a moderately dry soil it is 
certainly one of the best ornamental trees adapted for bleak 
and inhospitable situations, where its value is enhanced by 
being rarely subject to disease. The early rapidity of its 
growth renders it suitable for being interspersed as a shelter 
to many kinds of young ornamental trees, which ultimately 
take its place and attain a greater size. It will be always 
highly esteemed as an embellishment along the margin of 
plantations, roads, and avenues, and it is used as the stock 
on which the beautiful pendulous kinds of the genus are 
engrafted. 
