Spartium junceum L.   Fabaceae (Pea Family)   Mediterranean   Spanish Broom

                                        April Photo

Plant Characteristics: Mostly a rather tall virgately branched shrub with long slender leafless or few-lvd. rushlike branchlets, not angled, to 3 m. high, unarmed; lvs. alternate, simple, entire, small, oblance-oblong, 1-3 cm. long, +/- strigose, short-petioled; fls. yellow, in loose terminal racemes, 2-2.5 cm. long, fragrant; calyx split above, hence 1-lipped, with 5 minute teeth; banner and keel longer than wings, keel pubescent along its lower edge; stamens 10, filaments fused; pod linear, compressed, many seeded, 5-10 cm. long, +/- strigose; seeds with a basal strophiole.

Habitat:  Natur. in dry and waste places, on roadcuts, etc.  April-June.

Name: Greek, sparton, broom.  The broom we use to sweep was originally made of Old World plants with this common name; thus it earned its name, broom.  Junceum means rush-like and refers to the leafless stems.  (Dale 117).

General:  Found only on the southerly hillside along San Joaquin Hill Rd just above its terminus with Back Bay Dr. In 1997, when a housing development went in on the bluff top above, the developer cleaned out the broom and planted the hillside to Coastal Sage Scrub, however, a few plants have reappeared. (my comments).     Sparteine, from the Spanish Broom, has been used as a diuretic for centuries and was described for such use in ancient Greek literature.  It was not realized in those times that sparteine actually increases or strengthens the heartbeat, causing a greater flow of blood to the kidneys, and therefore resulting in more urine production.  (Fuller 337).       Only one species in the genus.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif.470).

Text Ref:  Bailey 570; Hickman, Ed. 644; Munz, Calif. Flora 830; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 470; Roberts 25.

Photo Ref:  Feb 2 84 # 24; June 1 83 # 9,10; April-May 95 # 17.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.  

First Found:  June 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 106.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 12/20/04

                                  June Photo                                                                                   June Photo