Flora of North America species comparison

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Ulex europaeus

common gorse, gorse
Habit Shrubs 2–3 m.
Stems

extensively intertwined, branchlets leafy;

older plants with dead mass at center.
Flowers

calyx ± yellow, membranous, lobes concave, 12–15 mm, hairs ± spreading;

corolla persistent;

banner ovate, to 20 mm;

wings and keel oblong, slightly shorter than banner, obtuse;

wings slightly longer than keel.
Legumes

dark purplish brown, 1.5–2.5 × 6–8 mm, explosively dehiscent.
Seeds

brownish green;

hilar appendages relatively small.
Phyllodes

4–14 mm.
Bracteoles

1.5–7 mm wide.
2n

= 32, 64, 96.

Ulex europaeus
Phenology Flowering Jan–Nov.
Habitat Roadsides, pastures, open forests, coastal bluffs, floodplains, disturbed areas in well-drained soils, particularly in coastal regions.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; MA; NY; OR; PA; VA; WA; WV; BC; w Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, c, n Europe, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ulex europaeus is cultivated for fodder, bedding, and hedges; the flowers are used to produce a dye. An extract from the seeds is used for tissue typing, due to its ability to selectively bind with certain types of lipids and proteins.

In Massachusetts, the species was last collected in 1931 and is likely extirpated there.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Ulex
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 741. (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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