Chamaecytisus albus

Chamaecytisus albus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Chamaecytisus
Species:	C. albus
Binomial name
Chamaecytisus albus (Hacq.) Rothm.
Synonyms
Chamaecytisus supinus subsp. albus(Hacq.) Briq. Cytisus albusHacq. Cytisus leucanthusWaldst. & Kit. Chamaecytisus albus(Hacq.) Rothm. subsp. albus

Chamaecytisus albus, also called white broom or Portuguese broom, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Central Europe, Moldova and Ukraine, Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. ^[1] The species is critically endangered in Poland and can only be found in one natural locality - near Hrubieszczów in the Lublin Voivodeship.

Taxonomy

Chamaecytisus albus was first described by Belsazar Hacquet in 1790 as Cytisus albus. It was later transferred to the genus Chamaecytisus in 1894 as a subspecies of Chamaecytisus supinus. ^[2]

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet albus means "white", which refers to the color of the species' flowers, as the English common name also suggests.

Description

Small, leguminous shrub, typically 20-80 centimeters high. Blooms from June to July.

Habitats

Found in open woodlands, scrublands, dry hillsides ^[3] and temperate grasslands.

References

1. "Cytisus albus Hacq". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
2. "Chamaecytisus albus (Hacq.) Rothm. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
3. "Chamaecytisus albus White Broom PFAF Plant Database". pfaf.org. Retrieved 2025-07-21.