Spartium junceum L.

Spice Flowers In the field

Family: LEGUMINOSAE

Genus: Spartium

Catalan common name: Ginesta. Ginesta vera. Ginestera. Herba de ballester.

Spanish common name: Canarios. Gayomba. Genista de España. Hiniestra. Retama de flor. Retama de los jardines. Retama macho.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): North Mediterranean

Uses and properties: Medicinal.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte. Nanophanerophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Garden plants. Cultivated. Naturalizated in road and torrent sides.

Characteristics: A tall bush, which can reach five metres in height, greatly branched with branches looking like reeds: green and apparently without leaves. Actually the leaves are small and lanceolate or linear and quickly drop off. The flowers are very bright yellow and large - more than two centimetres - they grow out of the top of the branches and make this species unmistakable. Moreover we will recognise it because the calyx seems to be made up of only one piece, without teeth, which hugs the flower below and opens above. The fruits are very compressed pods which become blackish when they ripen. It can flower at different times of the year but the main flowering is at the end of spring. This species is not native to our flora, although it is Mediterranean in origin, it is often planted along motorways and is naturalised in many places of the islands colonizing torrents (dry river beds) and garrigues (Mediterranean woodland) near roads.