Family:
Cape broom (Genista monspessulana)
Fabaceae.
Form:
Shrub
Origin:
Native to the Mediterranean region, Portugal and the Azores.
Flowers/Seedhead:
Flowers: Surrounded by hairy calyx. Flowers late winter & spring, sometimes in late summer & autumn.
Description:
Shrub to 3 m high. Stems green and covered with short soft hairs, becoming hairless with age. Leaves shortly stalked, consisting of 3 leaflets with rounded ends (often with a short point), upper surface virtually hairless, lower surface varying from scattered to densely appressed hairy with hairs often more common along the midrib. Seeds dark brown to black, usually 5–8 seeds per pod.
Distribution Map:
Cape broom (Genista monspessulana) Distribution in North America shown in green.
Distinguishing features:
Distinguished by ridged (but not 5 sided) green stems; flowers pea-like, yellow, 0.8–1.3 cm long; stamens 10 in a single tube; mature pods densely hairy, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 3–5 mm wide.
Close up of Cape broom (Genista monspessulana) Weed.
Dispersal:
Most spread is by movement of seed in mud attached to vehicles, animals and footwear.
Confused With:
Broom, Cytisus scoparius, but that species has larger flowers, 1.5–2.5 cm long, and pods only hairv along margins OR other Genista species, see taxonomic texts for detailed distinguishing features.
Notes:
Like many legumes, Montpellier Broom is hard seeded and small proportion of seeds germinate at any time. The plant forms dense thickets in areas with over 500 mm rainfall and temperate climates. Particularly common on roadsides and in woodland, of most concern in native woodlands of south-eastern Australia. Regarded as a weed in New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Hawaii and western states of the USA
Sourced From: www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedident.cgi?tpl=plant.tpl…
