GENISTA AN'GLICA. 
ENGLISH PETTY-WHIN. 
Clots. Order. 
MONADELPHIA. DECANDRIA. 
Natural Order. 
LEGUMINOS^. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Habit. 
Inhabits 
Britain. 
18 inches. 
May, June. 
Shrub. 
Heaths. 
No. 1021. 
The uncertainty in which the derivation of some 
botanical names is enveloped makes every attempt 
to bring their origin clearly to view veiy unsatis- 
factoiy. Whether the present word, Genista, is 
founded on the Latin genu, the knee ; the Celtic 
gen, a bush; or whether it may not have had a 
Greek root, is now but matter of conjecture. Whin 
is a name applied to the Gorse ; hence the Gen- 
ista Anglica has obtained the name Petty-whin. 
It is an inhabitant of many parts of England, 
on moist heaths; and Gerai’d observes, that in his 
day, it grew on Hampstead Heath, near London. 
He says “ It hath weak and flexible branches of a 
woody substance; whereunto do grow little leaves 
like those of Thyme ; among which are set in num- 
bers infinite most shai’p prickles, hurting like 
needles, whereof it took its name.” Gerard here 
alludes to the name Needle-furze, by which it is 
sometimes known. 
The Genista Anglica forms a neat evergreen 
close-growing shrab. It gives useful relief to the 
borders in winter, and is very ornamental when 
flowering in profusion in summer. 
256 . 
