Shrubs prostrate to erect, 0.5–2 m. Stems much branched from base, glabrous or sparsely and irregularly hairy. Leaves sessile or subsessile; stipules 0.8–1.5 mm; petiole less than 1 mm; leaflet 1, blade broadly elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceo­late to obovate, 5–50 mm, base rounded, margins sparsely ciliolate, apex aristulate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent along margins and midvein. Inflorescences 1–6-flowered, terminal, simple or compound racemes (30–)40–60(–80) mm; bracts foliaceous, 6–9 mm. Pedicels 1–2 mm. Flowers: calyx 3–7 mm, glabrous or glabrate to densely pubescent; banner broadly ovate, 8–12 mm, glabrous; wings and keel equaling banner, glabrous. Legumes narrowly oblong, 15–25 mm, glabrous. Seeds 4–10, yellow-tan, cordate, 1–1.3 mm. 2n = 48, 96.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Aug.
Habitat: Recently disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–1500 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; B.C., N.S., Ont., Que., Conn., D.C., Idaho, Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, R.I., Vt., Va., Wash., Wis., Europe, intro­duced also in South America (Argentina), Asia (China).

Discussion

Genista tinctoria is the most widely distributed and variable taxon in the genus. Two characters that seem to show the most variation are the presence or absence of indument on the leaves, calyx, and fruit and the growth form, with prostrate plants having inflorescences consisting of few-flowered racemes and more erect plants having compound or paniculate racemes. Local and regional floras in the areas to which these plants are endemic often recognize varieties; however, there seems to be no good geographic or genetic basis for doing so.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.