Scotch Broom
Cytisus scoparius
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- September-December
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cytisus scoparius
- Genus
- Cytisus
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Forest plantations and degraded forest areas
- Habitat type
- Forest, Cultivated
- Native to
- Mediterranean regions
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-December
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Trifoliate (three leaflets)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Scotch Broom itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“As a legume, this shrub can fix nitrogen in the soil through a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Scotch Broom itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Scotch Broom
A member of the Fabaceae family, Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and 1 other states. It grows in forest plantations and degraded forest areas. Flowering and fruiting run from September to December.
Uses
In practice it is long used in traditional medicine, planted as an ornamental and harvested for fodder. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
In culture
It turns up in ritual and festival use and is used as an official or regional emblem.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Scotch Broom belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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