Спартіум

Spanish broom (Spartium junceum) is a flowering plant of the family Fabaceae and the only species in the genus Spartium. It is a vigorous, deciduous shrub growing to 2-4 metres tall. It 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. Its grey-green, rush-like shoots carry very sparse small leaves that fall away early. In late spring and summer the shoots are covered in profuse fragrant yellow pea-like flowers 1 to 2 cm across. In late summer the seed pods mature black and reach 8-10 cm long. It is closely related to the other brooms, in the genera Cytisus and Genista. Its main stems are up to 5 centimetres thick, rarely 10 cm. Much of the photosynthesis occurs in the green shoots, a water-conserving strategy in its dry climate.

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The Greek name Spartium denotes the use of the plant for cordage. The Latin specific name junceum means "rush-like", referring to the shoots. The plant has traditionally been used for the production of fiber, especially for tying vines. Its fibers have been used for cloth, and the plant produces a yellow dye. The branches are used to make brooms. The alkaloids found in all parts of the plant have toxic effects. In Catalan it is known as ginesta, and it has been regarded as the national flower of Catalonia. The plant is highly toxic, particularly the flowers and seeds. Raw textiles made from the fiber serve for wrapping agricultural products, and fine textiles give linen. The plant is also used as a hedge because of its nitrogen-fixing quality. The green foliage was eaten by sheep and goats, but eaten alone in large quantities it can be noxious. In Turkey the flowers have been used in traditional medicine to treat ulcers, and a saponin with antiulcer properties has been identified in the plant.

Spanish broom has been widely introduced outside its native range. It is regarded as a noxious invasive species in places with a Mediterranean climate, such as California and Oregon, Hawaii, central Chile, southeastern Australia, the Western Cape in South Africa, and the Canary Islands and Azores.

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