Are there similar species?Ĭape Broom ( Genista monspessulana) is generally similar to other shrubs that have yellow pea flowers and leaves divided into three leaflets. Montpellier broom can inhabit a broader range of habitats than Scotch broom because it tolerates warmer and drier Mediterranean climates 0t has also been found in wetlands 0n many areas of Australia Montpellier broom is found growing together with Scotch broom (Office of Environment and Heritage 2014). It also colonises disturbed bushland vegetation especially grassland, woodland and open forest (Jeanes 1996 Parsons & Cuthbertson 1992 National Herbarium of Victoria 2007). In Australia it occurs mainly in higher rainfall of southern Australia, south-west corner of Western Australia and the south-eastern states, and readily invades disturbed areas such as native vegetation, roadsides, fencelines, creek margins and poorly managed pastures. Shrub Where it currently grows? Preferred habitatĬape Broom ( Genista monspessulana) favours scrub and open woodland in its area of origin (Tutin et al. Recognition : This species can normally be recognised by the combination of the following characters young stems are ridged, green and lightly hairy leaves on a short leaf stalk, are trifoliate (have three-leaflets), leaflets egg-shaped with widest point nearer tip, leaflet hairy – more so on their undersides each ends in a short point flowers are bright yellow and pea-like, 8–12 mm long in clusters of 3 to 9 fruits (pods) are hairy all over, brown to black in colour when ripe, 15–25 mm long and 3–5 mm wide with 5–8 seeds seeds are smooth, dark brown to black, up to 3 mm long.įor further information and assistance with identification of Cape Broom contact the herbarium in your state or territory. The hard seeds are brown to black in colour, smooth and rounded and slightly flattened, about 2.5 mm across (Jeanes 1996 Weeds Australia). Mature seed pods usually mature over late spring to early summer, when they open and expel seeds explosively and coil distinctively once opened (Office of Environment and Heritage 2014). Mature fruits (seed pods) are dark brown to black, very hairy, 15-30 mm long and about 3-5 mm wide, each pod normally contains 5-8 seeds. Flowering occurs from late winter to spring and early summer. The yellow pea flowers are 8-13 mm long and more or less clustered in groups of 3-7 at the ends of short branchlets in the axils of leaves. The top end (apex) of the leaflet is rounded with the tip ending in a small short point, with margins entire (not toothed or lobed). Each leaflet is obovate (egg-shaped in outline with the widest part nearer the tip of the leaflet) with the base of the leaflet uniformly tapering to the leaf stalk. Leaflets are 5–25 mm long, 2–15 mm wide, sparsely hairy on the upper side, paler and more densely hairy on the lower side. Leaves are trifoliate (divided into three leaflets) with the centre leaflet being slightly longer than the outer two. The leaves are shortly petiolate (on a short leaf stalk), also covered with short soft hairs. The stems are ribbed and covered with short soft hairs. This results in less follow-up where the seed-bank will be small.Ĭape Broom ( Genista monspessulana) is an erect, evergreen, perennial shrub to 3 m high.
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