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''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
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 group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of thorny
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
shrubs in the subfamily
Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the subfamily is Papilionoideae, or Papilionaceae when this group of plants is treated as a family. This subfamily is widely ...
of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are native to parts of western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
. Gorse is closely related to the brooms and like them has green stems and very small leaves and is adapted to dry growing conditions. However it differs in its extreme thorniness, the
shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the sp ...
s being modified into branched
thorns Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...
long, which almost wholly replace the leaves as the plant's functioning photosynthetic organs. The leaves of young plants are
trifoliate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...
, but in mature plants they are reduced to scales or small spines. All the species have yellow flowers, generally showy, some with a very long flowering season.


Species

The greatest diversity of ''Ulex'' species is found in the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
, and most species have narrow distribution ranges. The most widely familiar species is common gorse (''
Ulex europaeus ''Ulex europaeus'', the gorse, common gorse, furze or whin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the British Isles and Western Europe. Description Growing to tall, it is an evergreen shrub. The young stems are g ...
''), the only species native to much of western Europe, where it grows in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils. It is also the largest species, reaching in height; this compares with typically for western gorse (''
Ulex gallii ''Ulex gallii'', the western gorse or dwarf furzeA R Clapham, T G Tutin, E F Warburg, ''Flora of the British Isles'', Cambridge, 1962, p. 332 is an evergreen shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae), native to the Atlantic coasts of western Europe: sou ...
''). This latter species is characteristic of highly exposed
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
coastal
heathland 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 coole ...
and montane habitats. In the eastern part of Great Britain dwarf furze (''
Ulex minor ''Ulex minor'', the dwarf furze or dwarf gorse is an evergreen dwarf shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to eastern England, France, Spain and Portugal. It is restricted to lowland heathland habitats. It normally grows about tall, although in ...
'') replaces western gorse. ''Ulex minor'' grows only about tall, a
habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
characteristic of sandy lowland heathland. Common gorse flowers a little in late autumn and through the winter, coming into flower most strongly in spring. Western gorse and dwarf furze flower in late summer (August–September in Ireland and Great Britain). Between the different species, some gorse is almost always in flower, hence the old country saying: "When gorse is out of blossom, kissing's out of fashion". Gorse flowers have a distinctive coconut scent, experienced very strongly by some individuals but weakly by others.


Species list

The genus comprises the following species: * ''
Ulex argenteus ''Ulex argenteus'' is a species of gorse native to southern Portugal (Algarve and Alentejo) in the Iberian Peninsula. Description ''Ulex argenteus'' is a low-growing shrub with an open branching structure. Branches, stems, and spines are dense ...
'' Webb ** subsp. ''argenteus'' Webb ** subsp. ''subsericans'' (Cout.) Rothm. * '' Ulex australis'' Clemente ** subsp. ''australis'' ** subsp. ''welwitschianus'' (Planch.) Esp.Santo, Cubas, Lousã, C.Pardo & J.C.Costa * '' Ulex baeticus'' Boiss. ** subsp. ''baeticus'' ** subsp. ''scaber'' (Kunze) Cubas * '' Ulex borgiae'' Rivas Mart. * '' Ulex canescens'' Lange * ''
Ulex cantabricus ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are na ...
'' Alvarez & al. * ''
Ulex densus ''Ulex densus'' (Portuguese: ''tojo-gatunho'' or ''tojo-da-charneca'') is an evergreen shrub in the family Fabaceae endemic to Portugal. Description ''Ulex densus'' is an evergreen shrub up to in height. It is densely ramified and forms a comp ...
'' Webb * '' Ulex erinaceus'' Welw. ex Webb * '' Ulex eriocladus'' C.Vicioso * ''
Ulex europaeus ''Ulex europaeus'', the gorse, common gorse, furze or whin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the British Isles and Western Europe. Description Growing to tall, it is an evergreen shrub. The young stems are g ...
'' L.—common gorse ** subsp. ''europaeus'' ** subsp. ''latebracteatus'' (Mariz) Rothm. * ''
Ulex gallii ''Ulex gallii'', the western gorse or dwarf furzeA R Clapham, T G Tutin, E F Warburg, ''Flora of the British Isles'', Cambridge, 1962, p. 332 is an evergreen shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae), native to the Atlantic coasts of western Europe: sou ...
'' Planch.—western gorse or western furze * '' Ulex jussiaei'' Webb * '' Ulex micranthus'' Lange * ''
Ulex minor ''Ulex minor'', the dwarf furze or dwarf gorse is an evergreen dwarf shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to eastern England, France, Spain and Portugal. It is restricted to lowland heathland habitats. It normally grows about tall, although in ...
'' Roth—dwarf furze or dwarf gorse * '' Ulex parviflorus'' Pourr. ** subsp. ''africanus'' (Webb) Greuter ** subsp. ''airensis'' (Esp.Santo, Cubas, Lousã, C.Pardo & J.C.Costa) Rivas Mart. ** subsp. ''parviflorus'' Pourr. ** subsp. ''rivasgodayanus'' Cubas The number of species is likely higher, as many subspecies are not closely related to one another or have large differences in ploidy.


Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Ulex eriophorus'' Gand. * ''Ulex spicatus'' Gand.


Hybrids

The following hybrids have been described: * ''Ulex'' ×''breoganii'' (Castrov. & Valdés Berm.) Castrov. & Valdés Berm. (''U. europaeus'' × ''U. gallii'') * ''Ulex'' ×''dalilae'' Capelo, J.C.Costa & Lousã (''U. densus'' × ''U. jussiaei'') * ''Ulex'' ×''lagrezii'' Rouy (''U. europaeus'' × ''U. minor'')


Ecology

Gorse may grow as a fire-climax plant, well adapted to encourage and withstand fires, being highly flammable and having seed pods that are to a large extent opened by fire, thus allowing rapid regeneration after fire. The burnt stumps also readily sprout new growth from the roots. Where fire is excluded gorse soon tends to be shaded out by taller-growing trees unless other factors such as exposure also apply. Typical fire recurrence periods in gorse stands are 5–20 years. Gorse thrives in poor growing areas and conditions including drought; it is sometimes found on very rocky soils, where many species cannot thrive. Moreover it is widely used for land reclamation (e.g. mine tailings), where its
nitrogen-fixing Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atm ...
capacity helps other plants establish better. Gorse is a valuable plant for wildlife, providing dense thorny cover ideal for protecting bird nests. In Britain, France and Ireland it is particularly noted for supporting
Dartford warbler The Dartford warbler (''Curruca undata'') is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is ...
s (''Sylvia undata'') and
European stonechat The European stonechat (''Saxicola rubicola'') is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the common stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family, Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relat ...
s (''Saxicola rubicola''); the common name of the
whinchat The whinchat (''Saxicola rubetra'') is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in central Africa. At one time considered to be in the thrush family, Turdidae, it is now placed in the Old World flycat ...
(''Saxicola rubetra'') attests to its close association with gorse. The flowers are sometimes eaten by the caterpillars of the
double-striped pug The double-striped pug (''Gymnoscelis rufifasciata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a widespread and common species, being found throughout the Palearctic region, including the Near East and North Africa. This is a variable specie ...
moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
(''Gymnoscelis rufifasciata''), whilst those of the case-bearer moth '' Coleophora albicosta'' feed exclusively on gorse. The dry wood of dead gorse stems provides food for the caterpillars of the concealer moth '' Batia lambdella''.


Invasive species

In many areas of North America (notably California and Oregon), southern South America, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii the common gorse, introduced as an ornamental plant or hedge, has become an invasive species owing to its aggressive seed dispersal; it has proved very difficult to eradicate and detrimental in native
habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s. Common gorse is also an invasive species in the montane grasslands of
Horton Plains National Park Horton Plains National Park ( si, හෝර්ටන් තැන්න ජාතික උද්‍යානය, Hortan Thanna Jathika Udyanaya) is a national park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka that was designated in 1988. It is locate ...
in Sri Lanka.


Management

Gorse readily becomes dominant in suitable conditions, and where this is undesirable for agricultural or ecological reasons control is required, either to remove gorse completely or to limit its extent. Gorse stands are often managed by regular burning or flailing, allowing them to regrow from stumps or seed. Denser areas of gorse may be bulldozed.


Uses


Foods

Gorse flowers are edible and can be used in salads and tea and to make a non-grape-based fruit wine. As fodder gorse is high in protein it may be used as feed for livestock, particularly in winter when other greenstuff is not available. Traditionally it was used as fodder for cattle, being made palatable either by bruising (crushing) with hand-held mallets or grinding to a moss-like consistency with hand- or water-driven mills or being finely chopped and mixed with straw chaff. Gorse is also eaten as
forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used ...
by some livestock, such as feral ponies, which may eat little else in winter. Ponies may also eat the thinner stems of burnt gorse.


Fuel

Gorse bushes are highly flammable and in many areas bundles of gorse were used to fire traditional bread ovens. In the island of Guernsey,
Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
, many traditional farms had furze brakes. The prolific gorse and bracken would be cut, dried and stored to be used as fuel, with farmhouses having purpose-built furze ovens.


Wood

Gorse wood has been used to make small objects; being non-toxic it is especially suited for cutlery. In spite of its durability it is not used for construction because the plant is too small and the wood is unstable, being prone to warping. Gorse is useful for garden ornaments because it is resistant to weather and rot.


Alternative medicine

Gorse has been listed as one of the 38 plants that are used to prepare Bach flower remedies, a kind of alternative medicine.


Gorse-based symbols

The furze is the badge of the
Sinclair Sinclair may refer to: Places * Lake Sinclair, near Milledgeville, Georgia * Sinclair, Iowa * Sinclair, West Virginia * Sinclair, Wyoming * Sinclair Mills, British Columbia * Sinclair Township, Minnesota * Sinclair, Manitoba People * ...
and MacLennan clans of Scotland. The flower, known as ''chorima'' in the Galician language, is the national flower of Galicia in northwest Spain. The gorse is also the emblem of
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
and is regaining popularity in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, particularly on St Piran's Day.


In popular culture

Its flammability rendered gorse symbolic as quickly flammable and quickly burning out; for example,
Doyle Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with agglu ...
, in his book '' Sir Nigel'', has Sir
John Chandos Sir John Chandos, Viscount of Saint-Sauveur in the Cotentin, Constable of Aquitaine, Seneschal of Poitou, (c. 1320 – 31 December 1369) was a medieval English knight who hailed from Radbourne Hall, Derbyshire. Chandos was a close friend of ...
say: "... They flare up like a furzebush in the flames, but if for a short space you may abide the heat of it, then there is a chance that it may be cooler... If the Welsh be like the furze fire, then, pardieu! the Scotch are the peat, for they will smolder and you will never come to the end of them." In many parts of Britain, especially
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
and
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
where it is particularly prevalent on the
moor Moor or Moors may refer to: Nature and ecology * Moorland, a habitat characterized by low-growing vegetation and acidic soils. Ethnic and religious groups * Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during ...
s, the expression "kissing's out of fashion when the gorse is out of blossom" is a traditional jest as common gorse is thought to be always in bloom. Gorse, or rather furze as it was usually known in the West Country, sprigs were a traditional May Day gift between young lovers in the region, when in fact the blossom is at its peak.


References


External links

* *
'A Modern Herbal' (Grieves 1931)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q393278 Fabaceae genera Edible plants Flora of Africa Flora of Europe Flora of Spain Invasive plant species in Sri Lanka Medicinal plants Nitrogen-fixing crops Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus