Genista is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, native to open habitats such as moorland and pasture in Europe and western Asia. They include species commonly called broom, though the term may also refer to other genera, including Cytisus and Chamaecytisus. Brooms in other genera are sometimes considered synonymous with Genista: Echinospartum, Retama, Spartium, Stauracanthus, and Ulex.
They are mainly deciduous shrubs and trees, often with brush-like foliage, often spiny to deter grazing, and masses of small, pea-like yellow blooms which are sometimes fragrant. Many of the species have flowers that open explosively when alighted on by an insect, the style flying through the upper seam of the keel and striking the underside of the insect, followed by a shower of pollen that coats the insect.
The name of the Plantagenet royal line is derived from this genus, being a dialectal variation of planta genista.
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Species
Genista comprises the following species:
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Species names with uncertain taxonomic status
The status of the following species is unresolved:
Hybrids
The following hybrids have been described:
- Genista ×altoportillensis Egido & Puente García
- Genista ×arizagae Elorza et al.
- Genista ×fritschii Rech.
- Genista ×martinii Verg. & Soulié
- Genista ×norpalentina J.M.Aparicio et al.
- Genista ×oweniana auct.
- Genista ×rivasgodayana J.Andrés & Llamas
- Genista ×segurae Uribe-Ech. & Urrutia
- Genista ×uribe-echebarriae Urrutia
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