The Universal Herbal: Genista Tinctoria; Common Dyer's Genista, or Broom. Genista Sibirica. Siberian Genista. Genista Florida; Spanish Dyer's Genista, or Broom.

The Universal Herbal;
or botanical, medical and agricultural dictonary.
Containing an account of All the known Plants in the World, arranged according to the Linnean system. Specifying the uses to which they are or may be applied, whether as food, as medicine, or in the arts and manufactures.
With the best methods of propagation, and the most recent agricultural improvements.
collected from indisputable Authorities.
Adapted to the use of the farmer - the gardener - the husbandman - the botanist - the florist - and country housekeepers in general.
By Thomas Green.
Vol. I
Liverpool.
Printed at the Caxton Press by Henri Fisher.
Printer in Ordinary to His Majesty.
1824Leaves lanceolate, smooth; branches streaked, round, up-right; the roots creep far and wide; stems many, angular, tough, from a foot to eighteen inches or two feet in height, sometimes more, branches subdivided, ending in short spikes of yellow flowers, with stipules between them. When cows feed on it, their milk, and the butter or cheese made from it, are said to be very bitter. A bright yellow colour may be prepared from the flowers; and for wool that is to be dyed green with wood, the dyers prefer it to all others. A drachm and a half of the powdered seeds operates as a mild purgative. A decoction of the plant is sometimes diuretic, and therefore has proved serviceable in dropsical cases. A salt prepared from the ashes is also recommended in the same disorder. — Native of most parts of Europe, particularly in dry gravelly or sandy soils, flowering in July. In the old writers it is called base broom, green weed, or green wood, dyer's weed, and wood waxen.

Genista Sibirica. Siberian Genista.
Leaves lanceolate, smooth; branches equal, round, upright. This rises with woody stalks two or tree feet high. - Native of Siberia.

Genista Florida; Spanish Dyer's Genista, or Broom.
Leaves lanceolate, silky; branches streaked, round; flowers in bundles, directed one way; spikes of flowers terminating, succeeded by short F. which turn black when ripe, and contain four or five kidney-shaped seeds. It flowers in June and July. — Native of Spain.