Herbario Virtual del Mediterráneo Occidental
Àrea de Botànica, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears
Calicotome spinosa (L.) Link
Family : LEGUMINOSAE
Genus : Calicotome
Catalan common name : Argelaga. Argelaga vera. Bàlec. Gatosa negra.
Spanish common name : Aliaga. Aulaga negra. Retama espinosa.
Province distribution : Alicante. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castellón. Gerona. Tarragona. Valencia.
Distribution in the islands : Ibiza. Mallorca. Minorca.
General distribution : West Mediterranean
Flowering time : March. April. May.
Life-forms : Nanophanerophyte. Semicaducifolious.
Habitat : Garriques.
IUCN Category : Poco preocupante
Characteristics : Spiny broom is one of the most known plants, because of its thorns and because of its abundance in certain places (above all if there has been a forest fire). It can be distinguished from another broom (Genista lucida) because this broom flowers earlier on, practically in winter, whereas spiny broom flowers in spring; moreover spiny broom has petiolated leaves and Genista cinerea is practically leafless; the calyx of spine broom looks like a goblet (only the bottom part remains after flowering).
