''Spartium junceum'', known as Spanish broom, rush broom, or weaver's broom, it is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Fabaceae and the sole species in the genus ''Spartium''. It is closely related to the other brooms (in the genera '' Cytisus'' and '' Genista'').

Taxonomy

The Greek name ''Spartium'' given to the genus denotes the use of the plant for '

cordage Cordage may refer to: * Rigging, cords and ropes attached to masts and sails on a ship or boat * Rope, yarns, plies or strands twisted or braided together into a larger form See also * String (disambiguation) * Cord (disambiguation) Cord or ...

'. The Latin specific epithet ''junceum'' means "rush-like", referring to the shoots, which show a passing resemblance to those of the rush genus ''

Juncus ''Juncus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants, commonly known as rushes. It is the largest genus in the family Juncaceae, containing around 300 species. Description Rushes of the genus ''Juncus'' are herbaceous plants that superfic ...

''.

Distribution and habitat

This species is native to the Mediterranean in southern Europe, southwest Asia and northwest Africa, where it is found in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils.

Description

''Spartium junceum'' is a vigorous,

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

shrub growing to tall, rarely , with main stems up to thick, rarely . It has thick, somewhat succulent grey-green rush-like shoots with very sparse small deciduous leaves 1 to 3 cm long and up to 4 mm broad. The leaves are of little importance to the plant, with much of the

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

occurring in the green shoots (a

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

-conserving strategy in its dry climate). The leaves fall away early. In late spring and summer shoots are covered in profuse fragrant yellow pea-like

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s 1 to 2 cm across. In late summer, the

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...

s (

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

pods) mature black and reach long. They burst open, often with an audible crack, spreading seed from the parent plant.

Cultivation and uses

The plant is used as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

in gardens and in landscape plantings. It has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. In Bolivia and Peru, the plant is known as ''retama'', (not to be confused with the genus '' Retama'') and has become very well established in some areas. It is one of the most common ornamental plants, often seen growing along sidewalks in

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bo ...

. ''Retama'' has made its way into the ethnobotany of the indigenous Aymara and Quechua cultures. The plant is also used as a flavoring, and for its essential oil, known as

genet absolute Genet or Genêt may refer to: Aircraft *Armstrong Siddeley Genet, aircraft engine *Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major, aircraft engine Animals and plants *Genet (biology), a colony of plants, fungi or bacteria that come from a single genetic source ...

.FAO
/ref> Its fibers have been used for

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

and it produces a yellow dye.

As an invasive species

''Spartium junceum'' has been widely introduced into other areas, and is regarded as a noxious

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

in places with a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

such as California and Oregon, Hawaii, central Chile, southeastern Australia, the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

in South Africa and the Canary Islands and Azores.US Forest Service Fire Ecology
/ref> It was first introduced to California as an

.Element Stewardship: ''S. junceum''
/ref>

Gallery

File:Massif de genêts (Spartieum junceum).jpg, A stand of plants with many blooms, France File:Spartium junceum2.jpg, Flowers File:Fabaceae - Spartium junceum-003.JPG, Close-up of a flower File:Spartium junceum6.jpg, Mature fruit

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q910358, from2=Q14566707 Genisteae Monotypic Fabaceae genera Flora of Western Asia Flora of North Africa Garden plants of Europe Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus