Flora of North America species comparison

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Spartium

Spartium junceum

broom, Spanish broom

Spanish-broom
Habit Shrubs or trees, unarmed. Shrubs or trees 2–4(–5) m. Stems evergreen, longitudinally striate, flexible, glaucous, sparsely branched distally, becoming woody; pith spongy.
Stems

evergreen, erect, rushlike, glabrous.

Leaves

alternate to subopposite, unifoliolate or obsolescent;

stipules present;

petiolate;

blade margins entire, surfaces appressed-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

early deciduous, blade bright green adaxially, oblong-linear to lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.2–0.5 cm.
Inflorescences

5–20-flowered, terminal, racemes;

bracts and bracteoles present.

to 46 cm, lax;

bracts deciduous, proximal, small;

bracteoles 2, distal.
Flowers

papilionaceous, showy, pedicellate;

calyx campanulate, lobes 5;

corolla yellow;

stamens 10, monadelphous;

anthers dimorphic, 9 basifixed, 1 dorsifixed;

style incurved, indument dense, silky proximally.

sweet-scented;

calyx tube broadly ovate, 8–10 mm, irregularly unilabiate or, rarely, bilabiate, lobes distinct almost to base;

banner broadly obovate to rounded, 2–2.5 cm;

wings oblong, slightly shorter than banner, apex obtuse;

keel oblong, apex beaked.
Fruits

legumes, sessile, flattened, linear-oblong, dehiscent, sericeous or glabrous.

Legumes

dark brown to black, 5–10(–12) × 0.5+ cm, compressed between seeds;

valves twisted to eject seeds.
Seeds

6–18, transversely oblong.

yellow-brown;

without appendage near hilum.
x

= 12.

2n

= 48+.

Spartium

Spartium junceum
Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov.
Habitat Poor, rocky soils, riverbanks, post-burn chaparral, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
s Europe; sw Asia; nw Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Australia]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; TX; WA; s Europe; sw Asia; nw Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 1.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Spartium junceum was introduced to California in 1858 as an ornamental; it quickly colonized disturbed habitats in Mediterranean/chaparral climates and can become a fire hazard. All parts of the plant are poisonous. In Europe, flowers have been used to make dye, and fibers are used as cordage. Spartium junceum is considered an invasive plant or noxious weed in the four states in which it occurs.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11. Author: Debra K. Trock. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Spartium
Subordinate taxa
S. junceum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 708. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 317. (1754) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 708. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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