French Broom
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| French Broom | ||||||||||||||
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| Genista monspessulana (L.) O.Bolós & Vigo |
- See also: Broom (shrub)
French Broom (Genista monspessulana, syn. Cytisus monspessulanus or Teline monspessulana), also known as Cape Broom and Montpellier Broom, is a woody perennial shrub and a legume. The species is native to the Mediterranean region, and is considered an invasive plant in most places where it has been introduced.[1]
French Broom grows to 1-2.5 m tall, with slender green branches. The leaves are evergreen, trifoliate with three narrow obovate leaflets, 1-2 cm long. The flowers are yellow, grouped 3-9 together in short racemes. Like other legumes, it develops its seeds within a pod. The pods are 2-3 cm long, tough and hard, and are transported easily by flowing water and animals. They burst open with force, dispersing the seeds several metres. The plant begins seed production once it reaches a height of approximately 40 cm, and each plant can live for 10-20 years. One mature plant can produce 10,000 seeds per season. The generous seed production and the plant's ability to re-sprout after cutting or burning help it to invade new habitat vigorously when introduced.[2] [3] [4]
It is related to the Common Broom and Spanish Broom. This suite of plants is common in European shrublands. French Broom was originally distributed throughout Mediterranean Europe and northwest Africa, the Azores, and the Canary Islands.[4] Due to its lower tolerance for frost than other broom species, is common in warmer, lower elevation areas. It is found on coastal strips and in sunny inland areas, and does best with plentiful rainfall and sandy soils.
[edit] Invasiveness
When introduced to a new area, French Broom can become an invasive plant. Its reproductive vigour and preference for Mediterranean climates make it a very successful species in California and the Pacific Northwest, where it is considered a severe noxious weed, covering over 40,000 hectares.[5] It is even more widespread in Australia, where it covers 600,000 hectares and is also considered a noxious weed.[6]
The plant competes with native vegetation and usually wins, forming dense fields where other species are almost completely crowded out. The stands of French broom are so thick that they make meadows and pastures useless for wild and domestic animals. Other harmful effects include its ability to shade out tree seedlings in reforested areas, its tendency to catch fire, and the toxicity of its leaves and seeds, which contain alkaloids poisonous to many large domestic animals.[4]
[edit] External links
- USDA French Broom Information Page
- French Broom Webpage from the Calflora.org website; the webpage gives links to additional photos. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
- Genista monspessulans (French Broom), from the The Global Invasive Species Initiative website; the webpage has links to several photographs. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Genista monspessulana, webpage for taxonomic serial number 502738 retrieved May 19, 2007.
- ^ Bossard, Carla (2000). "Genista Monspessulana," in Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands, edited by Carla C. Bossard, John M. Randall, and Marc C. Hoshovsky (University of California, Berkeley). ISBN 978-0520225466 .
- ^ D'Antonio, Carla (2007). "Genista monspessulana," posted at the website of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
- ^ a b c Hoshovsky, Marc (1986). "Element Stewardship Abstract for Cytisus scoparius and Genista monspessulanus (The Nature Conservancy, Arlington). Webpage retrieved May 19, 2007.
- ^ "Genista monspessulana", website of the California Invasive Plant Council. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
- ^ Australian Weeds Committee (2007). "Noxious Weed List for Australian States and Territories," website of Cooperative Research Center for Australian Weed Management, retrieved May 19, 2007.
