In the Mediterranean it is very common and can be easily recognized because its stem is leafless. The Genisteae is a tribe of plants belonging to the family Faboideae. The species of this tribe have mainly posture-bushy shrub.
Broom, in popular language, is also called "whip of Christ", for the shape of its branches.
It is located in the coastal areas of the Province of Salerno. It reaches 2-3 meters tall and has upright, rounded, highly branched crown. The stems are slender, woody, very flexible, dark green or brown colour; while the leaves are small, dark green, widely separated from each other, and fall at the beginning of flowering. It produces numerous golden-yellow flowers, delicately fragrant, on leafless stems. The flowers are followed by fruits: long pubescent pods, which contain 10-15 flattened seeds.
It prefers the exposure to direct sunlight, but adapts well to all conditions: it can develop in partially shaded areas.
The broom is used in reforestation of degraded or bare zone for its ecological characteristics, with highly developed root system used to consolidate dunes, slopes and embankments.
The brooms were most appreciated by the Greeks and Romans that they were grown in abundance to attract bees for excellent honey.
In Spain, they were greatly appreciated for their delicate scent, while the fibre of the roots was used to produce ropes for ships.
According to a Sicilian tale the broom is a plant cursed by the Christ because it made noise when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, thus attracting the soldiers.
Photo gallery
Notes
Sandro Pignatti, Flora d'Italia, Bologna, Edagricole, 1982