Broom. (Cytisus scoparius syn. Spartium scoparium. Basam, Besum) A perennial shrub member of the Leguminosae family growing to about 3m in dry stony ground in Europe and Mediterranean countries. It has erect green angled stems bearing small alternate leaves which produce bright yellow, honey-scented flowers from the axils. The seeds are classically leguminous bean pods that twist open when ripe. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
The specific name, Scoparius, is from the Latin word – scopa – a besom or broom, and the generic name, Cytisus is said to be a corruption of the name of a Greek island, Cythnus, where the plant abounded.
The plant was known to the ancients and Pliny refers to it as a cure for dropsy. Gerard writes: “The decoction of the top twigs of Broom doth cleanse and open the liver, milt (spleen), and kidnies.” Culpeper considered the plant to be good not only for dropsy, but also for black jaundice, ague, gout, sciatica and various pains of the hips and joints. William Withering, in his book The Arrangement of Plants, states “that the green tops were a good winter feed for sheep, and will prevent the rot”.
Broom was adopted as a heraldic device by Geoffrey of Anjou, who plucked the stem from a rocky bank and wore it in his helmet as his cognisance for the troops. Henry 11 of England also adopted it as his device, and its mediaeval name Planta genista, gave rise to the Plantagenet line of monarchs. It may still be seen on the Great Seal of Richard 1. There are a number of superstitions associated with Broom. An old Suffolk tradition goes: “If you sweep the house with blossomed Broom in May, you are sure to sweep the head of the house away.”
Broom contains the alkaloid sparteine and the glycoside scoparin, as well as tannins, essential oils and bitter compounds. This renders the plant cardio-active, diuretic, laxative and a vasoconstrictor. The effect is to increase the power of the heart and slow it down, modern herbalists use it to treat atrial and ventricular fibrillation, dropsy and liver disorders.
For centuries the plant has provided the material for household brooms and brushes and is used in the tanning industry to strengthen hides.
In Cyprus we have a sister plant, Spartium junceum, which has been used in the villages to treat liver disorders and nephritis. Shepherds considered the plant effective in combating snake-bite. The flowers produce a yellow dye and are favoured by bee-keepers.
Next week… Sunspurge.
