SPARTIUM Lîii.Gen.Pl. Diadelphia D ecandrIa .
Stignia longitudinale, fupra villofum. Filameiita germini adhaerentia.
Cal. deorfum produftus.
Èaii Sylt. A rëores et F r u ï ic e s .
SPARTIUM Scoparium fol iis ternatis folitariifque rarnis inermibüs arigulatis. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab.
p. 644. Sp. PL p. gg6. Fl. Suec. n. 633.
SPARTIUM foliis inferioribus ternatis hitfutis; fuperioribus fimplicibus. Haller hiß-, n. 354.
GENISTA angulofa et fcoparia. Êauh. pin. 395;
GENISTA cura rapo. Dodon. Pempt. p. 761. Ger. eniaà. 131 ti
GENISTA vulgaris five fcoparia. Park. Theat. p. 228.
GENISTA angulofa trifolia. I. B. I. 388. Raii Syn. p. 4^4. (joninlon Broom. Hudfon Fl.
Angl. ed. 2. p. 310. Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. 382.
Iprutex tripedalis ad orgyalem et ultra, ramofiflimus,
I ramis e reft is, virgatis, viridibus, angulatis,
flexilibus, junioribus pubefcentibus
■ FOLIA faspius ternata, fummis fubinde iblitariis,
foliolis ovatis, acutis, pubefcentibus, ciliatis,
ciliis mollibus inflexis.
■ PETIOLI pubefcentes, complanati.
iFLORES lutei, maximi, laxe racemofi.
■ BRACTEiE quatuor, obovatae, inasquales, cniciatae,
obtulae, ad bafin pedunculorum.
IfEDUNCULI folitarii, faepius bini, raro terni, teretes,
glabri, ftipula minima utrinque infirufti.
■ CALYX: Per iAntiTium monophyllum, parvum,
bilabiatum, faepe purpureum, obfolete den-
ticulatum, labiorum apicibus marcidis fufcis, H H
I COROLLA papilionacea, pentapetala, Vexillum ob-
cordatum, reflexiim, maximum, fig. 2. Alee
longitudine carihae, fubovales, breviter pe-
tiolatas, Jig. 3. Carina ampla et profunda,
obtufe roftrata, Jig. 4. dipetala, aut in duas
partes facile feparabilis, margine carinali
villis connexo.
■ STAMINA: Filamenta decern, infeme in unum
corpus coalita (hinc decandria non diadel-
phia) affurgentes, inferioribus longioribus;
A nthers oblongae, crocae, Jig. 5.
IPISTILLUM: G ermen oblongum, hirfutum; St y lus
fubulatus, aflurgens, demum fpiraliter
involutus ad apicem inferne canaliculatus,
Stigma terminale, minimum, capitatum,
fig. 6. auft. fig. y.
K PERICARPIUM: L egumen latum, compreflum, ni-
■ gricans,marginibuspilis mollibus ciliatis,fig.S.
I SEMINA plurima ad 20, rnmuta, fubovata, lutefcentia,
nitida, fig. 9.
<> A Shrub from three to fix feet high or more, very
f much branched, the branches upright;
A twiggy, green, angular, flexible, the young
X ones downy.
A LEAVES mod commonly growing by threes, upper-*
y mod ones fometimes fingly, leaflets ovate,
a . acute, downy, edged with foft hairs bendy
ing inwards.
4 LEAF-STALKS downy, flattened.
4 FLOWERS yellow, very large, growing in loofe
^ racerai.
^ BRACTE^E four, inverfely ovate, unequal, crofs-
a fhaped, obtufe at the bafe o f the flower-ftalks.
❖ FLOWER-STALKS fingle, oftener two, rarely three,
x round, fmooth, fumifhed on each fide with
a very minute ftipula.
| C A L YX : a P e r i a n t h iu m o f o ne le a f, fm a ll, tw o -
<> lip p ed , o ften p u rp le , fa in t ly to o th e d , e x trem
itie s o f th e lip s w ith e red an d b row n ,
£ - fig* l - . .
v COROLLA papilionaceous, pentapetalous, Standard
inverfely heart-fhaped, reflexed,' very large,
\ Jig. 2. Wings the length o f the keel, fomea
what oval, on fhort footftalks, fig. 3. Keel
<> large and deep, beak blunt, fig. 4. compofed
x o f two petals, or at leaft eafily feparated into
a two parts, the edges being connefted together
at the keel with foft hairs.
A STAMINA: ten F i l a m e n t s , b e low u nited in to o ne
Y b o d y (h en c e o f th e clafs d e can d r ia rathe r
a than d ia d elp hia ) r ifin g u pw a rd s, the low e r-
Y mod ones longeft; A n th e r s oblong,
| faffron-coloured, fig. 5.
^ PISTILLUM : G ermen oblong, hirfute ; Sty le
a tapering, rifing upward, finally bent fpirally,
^ fo as to form fomewhat more than a circle,
? near the tip hollowed below; Stigma ter*
<> minal, very fmall, and forming a little head, % fig• 6. magnified, fig. 7.
a SEED-VESSEL a broad, flat, blackifh Pod, edged
y with foft hairs, fig. 8.
4 SEEDS numerous to 20, fmall, fomewhat ovate,
0 dingy yellow, glofly, fig. 9.
The common Englifh Broom is one of the mod ornamental fhrubs we have, efpecially that variety o f it, in
which the calyx is purple, and the blofToms ftrongly tinged with orange; but even in its common ftate, fuch
is the profufion of bloflbms with which its branches are loaded in the fummer, fuch the charming verdure of
its twigs in the winter feafon, that it may be faid to vie with any o f the foreign ones, and to be equally^
deferving a place in all ornamental grounds.
It grows naturally in dry, fandy, barren foils, bears tranfplanting badly, but is moft readily raifed from feed.
[ It is not only in an ornamental point o f view, that this plant deferves our notice, it claims our attention
l t l S an plant rural oeconomy and medicine.
Though pot fo commonly ufed for befoms as the common Heath and Birch, it is preferred for many
; purpofes; in the Northern parts o f Great-Britain it is made ufe of for thatching cottages, corn and hay-ricks,
j as a fubftitute for reeds in, making fences or fereens ; and we have been credibly informed, that in feme
[parts of Scotland, where coals are fcarce, whole fields are fown with its feeds to form fuel.
I Authors mention the flower-buds, juft before they become yellow, as proper for pickling, in the manner
I g c*pers * ; the branches, as capable o f tanning leather t , and of being manufaftured into coarfe cloth J ;
h ° ? W00(^» as fumilhing the cabinet-maker with the moft beautiful materials for vaneering; and the tender
[ ranches, to be frequently mixed with hops for brewing §.
D odon, See. t Ibid. § L ighx>o'o-t , FI. Scot.
The