Ulex europaeus

Ulex europaeus
Common Gorse
Common Gorse flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Ulex
Species: U. europaeus
Binomial name
Ulex europaeus
L.

Ulex europaeus, gorse, common gorse, furze or whin is an evergreen shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to western Europe from the northerly point of the United Kingdom south to Portugal, and from the westerly point of the Republic of Ireland east to Galicia in Poland and Ukraine.

Contents

Description

Common Gorse in flower

It grows to 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) tall. The young stems are green, with the shoots and leaves modified into green spines, 1–3 centimetres (0.39–1.2 in) long. Young seedlings produce normal leaves for the first few months; these are trifoliate, resembling a small clover leaf.

The flowers are yellow, 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) long, with the typical pea-flower structure; they are produced throughout the year, but mainly in the early spring. The fruit is a legume (pod) 2 centimetres (0.79 in) 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.

Like many species of gorse, it is often a fire-climax plant, which readily catches fire but re-grows from the roots after the fire; the seeds are also adapted to germinate after slight scorching by fire.

A whin-stone, used for bruising gorse.

The species has been introduced to other areas of Europe, and also to the Americas, New Zealand and Australia,[1] where it is often considered a weed and is a serious problem invasive species in some areas (notably the western United States, Chile and New Zealand). It was introduced to New Zealand from Scotland as a type of hedge, but became a major blight to farmers as the climate suited its growth better than its native habitat and many of its natural predators were absent. Biological pest control is used on this plant in many areas. The gorse spider mite (Tetranychus lintearius) and the gorse seed weevil (Exapion ulicis) reduce the spread of the plant.

Uses

Bruised gorse was used in some areas for feeding to horses and other livestock.[2]

Lectin extracted from seeds of this species binds to, is remarkably specific for, and is the standard method for identification of H-substance (absent in the hh antigen system) on human red blood cells. The vast majority of humans express H-substance, which is the basis for the ABO blood group system, but a few rare individuals ("Bombay phenotype") do not—and a chemical isolated from Ulex europaeus is used to identify these individuals.

See also

  • Gorse in New Zealand

References

  1. ^ Weeds of National Significance
  2. ^ Aiton, William (1811). General View of The Agriculture of the County of Ayr; observations on the means of its improvement; drawn up for the consideration of the Board of Agriculture, and Internal Improvements, with Beautiful Engravings. Glasgow. p. 441

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ulex europaeus —   Tojo, retamo espinoso, espinillo …   Wikipedia Español

  • Ulex europaeus — Stechginster Stechginster (Ulex europaeus) Systematik Ordnung: Fabales Famili …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ulex europaeus — Ajonc d Europe Ajonc d Europe …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ulex europaeus — Ajonc d Europe Ulex europaeus …   Wikipédia en Français

  • ULEX EUROPAEUS L. - УЛЕКС ЕВРОПЕЙСКИЙ, ДРОК — см. 427. Кустарник. U. europaeus L. У. европейский, Дрок Sp. pl. (1753) 241. Фл. СССР XI (1945) 72. S y n. U. floridus Salisb.; U. vernalis Thore; U. hibernicus G. Don.; U. armoricanus Mabille; U. opistolepis Webb. М е с т н. н а з в. Англ. gorse …   Справочник растений

  • Ulex europaeus — ID 86431 Symbol Key ULEU Common Name common gorse Family Fabaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Introduced to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution CA, HI, MA, NY, OR, PA, VA, WA, WV Growth Habit Shrub …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Ulex Europaeus — Furze Furze, n. [OE. firs, As. fyrs.] (Bot.) A thorny evergreen shrub ({Ulex Europ[ae]us}), with beautiful yellow flowers, very common upon the plains and hills of Great Britain; called also {gorse}, and {whin}. The dwarf furze is {Ulex nanus}.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ulex europaeus — noun very spiny and dense evergreen shrub with fragrant golden yellow flowers; common throughout western Europe • Syn: ↑gorse, ↑furze, ↑whin, ↑Irish gorse • Hypernyms: ↑shrub, ↑bush • Member Holonyms …   Useful english dictionary

  • ulex europaeus — A lectin that reacts specifically with α l fucose, used as a marker for endothelial cells in paraffin sections …   Medical dictionary

  • Ulex europaeus L. — Symbol ULEU Common Name common gorse Botanical Family Fabaceae …   Scientific plant list

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