''Calicotome villosa'', also known as hairy thorny broom and spiny broom, is a small shrubby tree native to the eastern Mediterranean region.

Etymology

''Calicotome'' is derived from the Greek ''Kalux'', calyx and ''tomos'', cut ; this refers to the fact that, after flowering, the calyx breaks off in circle and looks as if cut. ''Villosa'' is derived from the Latin ''villus'', hair, because the pods are usually hairy.

Description

Shrubby tree, 1–2 m, very spiny. Twigs striate, villous. Leaves digitate, with three leaflets, inserted in clusters on branchlets. Flowers inserted in the middle of the leaves on branchlets. Calyx campanulate, puberulent, with margins almost entire. Corolla 10–12 mm, bright yellow. Standard ample, longer than other parts. Pod densely

villous Villus ( la, "shaggy hair", plural villi) may refer to: * Intestinal villus, refers to any one of the small, finger-shaped outgrowths of the epithelial lining of the wall of the intestine. Clusters of projections are referred as intestinal villi. ...

. The tree blossoms in January thru April.

Habitat

Rocky hillsides and bushy places. The tree is endemic to coastal regions of the Levant, especially the lower mountain regions of southern Lebanon, and throughout the hill country of

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. It occupies the geographical regions of

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

, the

Palestine region Palestine ( el, Παλαιστίνη, ; la, Palaestina; ar, فلسطين, , , ; he, פלשתינה, ) is a geographic region in Western Asia. It is usually considered to include Israel and the State of Palestine (i.e. West Bank and Gaza ...

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Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Usage in antiquity

The florets were used in ancient times to flavor sesame oil.

Al-Tamimi, the physician Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Tamimi ( ar, أبو عبد الله محمد بن سعيد التميمي), (died 990), known by his kunya, "Abu Abdullah," but more commonly as Al-Tamimi, the physician, was a tenth-century physician, who came to renown o ...

(10th century), describing the process, writes that in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

it was commonly practiced to collect the yellow florets of the spiny broom ( ar, القندول), spread them upon thickly woven sackcloth laid out in the hot sun, pour over them hulled sesame seeds and cover them with linen sheets, while leaving them until the moisture evaporated. In this manner, the sesame seeds would absorb the sweet fragrance of the florets. After one or two days, the florets and sesame seeds were then separated, the sesame placed on clean linen garments, being allowed to further dry-out from the moisture absorbed by the florets. This process was repeated up to 3 or 4 times, with a fresh batch of florets set out to dry, until at length the pungent flavor of the florets (resembling the taste of vanilla) had been fully imparted to the sesame seeds. The dried florets were then collected and pressed with the sesame seeds in order to produce a fragrant oil. The oil was formerly stored in glassware vessels, with just enough space left at the top to be sealed with the florets of the spiny broom. Today, the florets are still used by Arabs of the country to flavor butter.Nissim Krispil, ''Medicinal Plants in Israel and Throughout the World - the Complete Guide'', Or Yehuda (Israel) 2000, p.204

References

*Mustapha Nehmeh, Wild flowers of Lebanon,National Council For Scientific Research,1978. *Georges Tohme& Henriette Tohme, IIIustrated Flora of Lebanon, National Council For Scientific Research, Second Edition 2014. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2259953

villosa ''Villosa'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the family Unionidae The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simp ...

Flora of Algeria Flora of Lebanon and Syria Flora of Tunisia Flora of Palestine (region)