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Woody > Ulex > Ulex europaeus > Ulex europaeus

Ulex europaeus


Common Gorse, Furze or Whin




Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Ulex
Species
europaeus
Category
Woody
Type
Shrub (evergreen)
Pronunciation
Height
2-3 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
Habitat
Western Europe
Leaf Description
The young stems are green, with the shoots and leaves modified into green spines, 1-3 cm long. Young seedlings produce normal leaves for the first few months; these are trifoliate, resembling a small clover leaf.
Flower Description
The flowers are yellow, 1-2 cm long, with the typical pea-flower structure; they are produced throughout the year, but mainly in the early spring.
Fruit Description
The fruit is a legume 2 cm long, dark purplish-brown, partly enclosed by the pale brown remnants of the flower; the pod contains 2-3 small blackish seeds, which are released when the pod splits open in hot weather.
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