Fabaceae

Spartium junceum

Common Names: Spanish broom

Plant Form: Erect evergreen many-stemmed shrub. Size: Up to 3 m tall. Stem: Smooth and round (rush-like), thin, straight, often leafless. Leaves: Small, single, oval to oblong, often absent. Flowers: Typical yellow pea-like about 2 cm long in groups of 5-15. Fruit and Seeds: Typical broom pods, brown to yellowish brown 5-10 cm long flattened, with fine hairs when immature. Habitat: Roadsides, railway lines, urban bushland, creeks. Distinguishing Features: Stems are smooth and round as opposed to ribbed in English broom (Cytisus scoparius). Impacts: Out competes native vegetation, seeds and leaves are toxic.

Flowers

Pods

Stems

Growth form