$n RR 
once the best-known and the most nearly allied 
of these are spartium, cytisus, and ulex. Three 
species of the genus genista are natives of Great 
Britain, nearly fifty have been introduced from 
foreign countries, and about twenty other spe- 
cies have been scientifically described. 
The dwarf English broom, or English petty 
whin, Genista anglica, is an evergreen shrub, of 
about two feet in height. It grows wild on moist 
heathy grounds in many parts of Britain; yet 
has many beauties to recommend it to the gar- 
dener. its branches are spiny; its leaves are 
| small, simple, lanceolate, and alternate ; its flow- 
ers have a fine yellow colour, are produced in 
clusters at the end of the branches, and appear 
| in May and June; and its pods are thick and 
short. 
The dyer’s broom, or woodwaxen, er dyer’s 
| greenweed, Grenista tinctoria, grows wild in the 
| dry pastures of England and Germany. 
| height of about three feet; its branches are 
| tapered and channelled; its leaves are lanceolate 
' and alternate ; and its fiowers are yellow, small, 
it has a 
and so profusely numerous as'to cover nearly the 
| whole shrub, and they appear from June till 
| August. 
| paratively narrow leaf and upright habit, and 
_ another has a broader leaf and a more spreading 
| habit. 
One variety of this species has a com- 
The branching broom or pilose greenweed, 
Genista pilosa, grows wild on some sandy heaths 
of England, and is a native also of France, Ger- 
many, and Hungary. Its usual height is about 
six feet ; its branches are slender and very 
spreading, and decline towards the greund; its 
| main stem is all over ‘beset with tubercles; its 
leaves are obtusely spear-shaped ; and its flowers 
have a yellow colour, are preduced in spikes at 
the ends of the branches, appear in May and 
June, and flourish in such profusion as to make 
a charming show. 
The single-seeded broom, Genista monosperma, 
_ formerly Spartium monospermum, was introduced 
from the south of Europe, near the end of the 
17th century. The common yellow variety of it 
has a height of about six feet ; its branches are 
tough, angular, and numerous; its leaves are 
lanceolate and few; its flowers have a fine deep 
yellow colour, are produced in bunches from the 
sides of the branches, appear in June and July, 
and are so nurmerous as to render the whole plant 
brilliant ; and its pods are short, and contain 
each but one seed. The white-flowered variety 
| requires a dry soil, and a well-sheltered situa- 
| tion. Its branches are slender, tough, numer- 
_ ous, tapering almost like rushes, and covered 
with a whitish bark; and its flowers are simi- 
larly produced to those of the other variety, but 
have a white colour. 
The prickly or scorpion broom, Genista scorpi- 
us, formerly Spartium scorpius, was introduced 
from the south of Europe in 1570. Its usual 
height is about four feet; its stem is woody; its | 
branches are few, slender, prickly, and branch- 
ing; its leaves are oval, smooth, and, in some 
varieties, hairy ; and its flowers appear in March 
and April, are moderately large, and vary, in the 
several varieties, from a deep to a pale yellow. 
The starry broom, Genista radiata, formerly 
Spartium radiatum, was introduced from Italy 
about the middle of last century. It usually 
grows no higher than about 18 or 24 iaches; but 
it occupies a very large space proportionately to 
its height, extending itself all around to some 
distance. Its branches are flexible and very 
narrow, and grow opposite by pairs; its leaves 
are trifoliate and opposite; its folioles are awl- 
shaped, and radiate from a centre like the radii 
of a star; and its flowers have a bright yellow 
colour, are prodweed in small clusters or spikes 
at the end of the branches, and appear in June 
and July; and its pods are short and hairy, and 
contain a few kidney-shaped seeds.——Four of the 
remaining introduced species of genista have 
spiny branches and trifoliate leaves; four have 
spiny branches and simple leaves; ten or eleven 
have unarmed branches, and principally trifoli- 
ate leaves; and between twenty and thirty have 
unarmed stems and simple leaves. 
BROOM,—botanically Lygeum. An anomal- 
us kind of grass, belonging to the Linnean | 
| class Triandria monogynia. 
Only one species of 
it is known; and this is designated Lygewm spar- 
tum. It isa native of Spain, and was brought 
thence to England in the latter part of last cen- 
tury. It grows to the height of about 18 inches, 
and flowers in May and June. It is exceedingly 
flexible; and is employed by the Spaniards for 
making ropes, baskets, and other useful articles, 
BROOM (Burcuer’s),—botanically Ruscus. A 
genus of small, ornamental, evergreen, shrubby 
plants, of the smilax tribe. The prickly species, 
Ruscus aculeatus, grows wild in the thickets of 
England, France, and Italy. 
height of only about a foot, but rises, under good 
cultivation, to a height of three feet. Its root 
is large, white, tender, and creeping, and strikes 
very deeply into the ground; its stems are lig- 
neous, tough, green, and streaked; its leaves are 
oblong, entire, thick and stiff, of a dark and 
dusky green colour, with prickly points as sharp 
as needles, and grow alternately on the stems; 
its flowers are small and greenish, grow on the 
middle of the upper surface ef the leaves, and 
appear from June till December; and the fruit 
of the female plant consists of sweetish, beauti- | 
ful red berries, about the size of pease. The 
roots and berries possess diuretic properties, and 
have been much used in medicine. The young 
shoots, gathered in spring, may be eaten like as- 
paragus or hop-tops, and are much relished by 
some persons, but have diuretic properties and a 
very bitter taste. The whole plant is gathered 
by butchers, and made into besoms for sweeping 
their blocks and shops: and hence it obtained 
the name of butcher’s broom. A variety of this 
It has usually a | 
