Shrubs, with stiff spine-like branches, simple, linear stiff Very prickly leaves, and large yellow solitary or racemed flowers. Calyx membranous, mostly yellow, divided nearly to its base into 2 concave lips; upper lip mostly 2-toothed, and lower 3-toothed; teeth short. Standard ovate; wings and keel oblong, obtuse. Stamens monadelphous; anthers alternately longer and shorter, the shorter versatile. Ovary sessile, several-many-ovuled; style somewhat incurved, smooth. Pod ovoid, oblong or linear. Seeds strophiolate. [The ancient Latin name.]

About 20 species, natives of eastern Europe, the following typical.

1. Ulex Europaèus L. Furze. Gorse. Whin. Prickly Or Thorn Broom

Fig. 2465

Ulex europaeus L. Sp. Pl. 741. 1753.

Much branched, bushy, 2°-6° high, more or less pubescent. Branchlets very leafy, tipped with spines; leaves prickly, 2"-7" long, or the lowest sometimes lanceolate and foliaceous; flowers borne on twigs of the preceding season, solitary in the axils, 6"-8" long, the twigs appearing like racemes; pedicels very short, bracted at the base; calyx a little shorter than the petals, minutely 2-bracteo-late; pod few-seeded, compressed, scarcely longer than the calyx.

In waste places, eastern Massachusetts to southern New York and eastern Virginia, escaped from cultivation. Also on Vancouver Island. Fugitive from Europe. Ulim. May-July.