''Cytisus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Fabaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to open sites (typically scrub and

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

land) in Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It belongs to the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Faboideae, and is one of several genera in the tribe Genisteae which are commonly called

brooms A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...

. They are shrubs producing masses of brightly coloured, pea-like flowers, often highly fragrant. Members of the segregate genera, ''

Calicotome ''Calicotome'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the subfamily ...

'', ''

Chamaecytisus ''Chamaecytisus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. It may be a synonym (taxonomy), synonym of ''Cytisus''. ''Chamaecytisus palmensis, C. palmensis'' is a tree from the Canary Is ...

'', and ''

Lembotropis ''Cytisus nigricans'', the black broom, is a species of flowering plant in the subfamily Faboideae of the family Fabaceae. Growing tall, it is a slender deciduous shrub with erect branches. Masses of brilliant yellow, slightly fragrant pea-like ...

'' are sometimes included in ''Cytisus''.

Species

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

listed the following species:

Hybrids and cultivars

, the following hybrids had been described: * +''Laburnocytisus'' 'Adamii' (Poit.) C. K. Schneid. (''Laburnum anagyroides'' + ''Chamaecytisus purpureus'') (not a true

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

but a graft-chimera) * ''Cytisus'' × ''beanii'' G.Nicholson (''Cytisus ardoini'' × ''Cytisus purgans'') * ''Cytisus'' × ''czerniaevii'' Krecz. * ''Cytisus'' × ''dallimorei'' Rolfe (''Cytisus multiflorus'' × ''Cytisus scoparius'') * ''Cytisus'' × ''praecox'' Beauverd (''Cytisus multiflorus'' × ''Cytisus purgans'') * ''Cytisus'' × ''syreiszczikowi'' V.I. Krecz. * ''Cytisus'' × ''vadasii'' J.Wagner * ''Cytisus'' × ''versicolor'' Dippel (''Cytisus hirsutus'' × ''Cytisus purpureus'') * ''Cytisus'' × ''virescens'' Beck * ''Cytisus'' × ''watereri'' Wettst.

AGM cultivars

Species have been widely cultivated and hybridised, and the following

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

: * ''Cytisus'' × ''beanii'' *''Cytisus'' × ''boskoopii'' 'Boskoop Ruby' (deep crimson flowers,) *''Cytisus'' × ''boskoopii'' 'Zeelandia' (lilac, pink and cream flowers,) *''Cytisus'' 'Burkwoodii' (cerise red or crimson red and yellow edged flowers,Andy McIndoe ) *''Cytisus'' 'Hollandia' (red and pale cream flowers,) *''Cytisus'' × '' kewensis'' (''Cytisus ardoinii'' × ''Cytisus multiflorus''; small, prostrate shrub with cream flowers) *''Cytisus'' 'Lena' * ''Cytisus nigricans'' 'Cyni' *''Cytisus'' × ''praecox'' 'Allgold' (yellow flowers) *''Cytisus'' × ''praecox'' 'Warminster' (pale yellow flowers)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q157226 Taxa named by René Louiche Desfontaines Fabaceae genera