Localities — On heaths; and in dry woods, and fields, on a gravelly soil. — 
Frequent in most counties in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. 
A Shrub. — Flowers in May and June. 
A large bushy shrub, from 3 to 6 feet, or more, high, very much 
branched. Branches long, straight, angular, dark green, smooth, 
and tough. Leaves deciduous, scattered, small, ternate ; the 
upper ones generally simple ; leaflets inversely egg-shaped, blunt, 
entire ; silky when young. Flowers axillary, solitary, or in pairs ; 
on round, smooth flower -stalks, which are longer than the leaves. 
Calyx somewhat bell-shaped, often purplish ; the upper segment 
with 2 teeth larger than those of the lower. Corolla large and 
handsome, of a fine golden yellow ; sometimes tinged with orange ; 
more rarely of a uniform pale lemon-colour. Standard nearly 
round, slightly notched at the summit. The two petals of the 
keel rather hooked, and united at the lower edge by an intertex- 
ture of very fine, soft, woolly hairs. Stamens four long and six 
short. Tube of the filaments soon split by the swelling germen. 
Style bowed almost into a circle, and after flowering into a spiral, 
the extremity not hairy. Legume brown, flat, above an inch long, 
nearly smooth at the sides, but fringed with hairs at each margin. 
Seeds about 15 or 16, each with a gland or crest at the base, which 
falls of!' when the seeds are fully ripe. 
The great profusion of beautiful, golden yellow blossoms, which this shrub 
produces during the early part of Summer, renders it highly deserving a place 
in the shrubbery. It meiits some attention also as a useful plant in rural oeco- 
nomy and medicine. “ It was formerly called Planta Genista, and under this 
name possesses much historial interest, as from hence was derived the word 
Plantagenet. Gefroi, duke of Anjou, father of our Henry the Second, was in 
the practice of wearing a sprig of Planta Genista in his cap; or, as an old 
writer quaintly expresses it, ‘ he wore commonly a broom-stalk in his bonnet ;’ 
and from this circumstance he acquired the name of Plantagenet, which he trans- 
mitted to bis princely descendants, who all bore it, from Henry, who has been 
called the first royal sprig of Genista, down to Richard the Third, the last dege- 
nerate scion of the plant of Anjou.” Wild Garland, p. 76. 
The broom has a bitter taste and diuretic quality. A decoction of the young 
twigs is a good remedy in dropsies. In the neigh bouihood of Ghent, Broom is 
sown with the view of improving poor sandy soils, and the young flower-buds, 
gathered in the spring, are often pickled and eaten as capers. The seeds roasted, 
have been sometimes used as a kind of coffee, and the tendei tops as a substi- 
tute for hops. The twigs and branches were formerly used for making besoms. 
“ The vagrant artist oft at eve reclines. 
And Broom's green shoots in besoms neat combines.” 
They are also used for tanning leather, for which purpose they are said to be 
not inferior to oak bark. In North Britain cottages and ricks are thatched with 
this plant; and in certain districts, where coal and wood are scarce, the culti- 
vation of it has been encouraged for the purpose of fuel. The old wood furnishes 
the cabinet-maker with most beautiful materials for vaneering. The macerated 
bark is found capable of being manufactured into cloth; and the plant, when 
buint, aftbids a tolerably pure alkaline salt. 
The flowers yield an abundant supply of honey for bees. In some parts of 
Britain, it is customary to paslure flocks where Broom ahounds in blossom, and 
thus in the opinion of many intelligent farmers, is the disease called the rot 
prevented. 
Orobanche major, or Broom-rape, is sometimes found attached to the roots 
of this plant. The Broom is now the badge of the Highland clan Forbfs. 
