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broom


broom

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Broom (Cytisus beanii)—Valerie Finnis

In botany, any of several leguminous shrubs or small trees of the genus Cytisus, native to temperate regions of Europe and western Asia. They are cultivated widely, chiefly for their attractive flowers. The compound leaves have three leaflets. The solitary or clustered yellow, purple, or white flowers resemble pea flowers. The fruit is a flat pod. A common, almost leafless species is C. scoparius, a shrub with bright yellow flowers often grown for erosion control in warm climates. Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a shrub of the lily family with small whitish flowers and red berries.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on broom, visit Britannica.com.

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