genista

[ juh-nis-tuh ]

noun

any plant belonging to the genus Genista, of the legume family, having showy flowers and including many species of broom.
a related plant, Cytisus canariensis, of the Canary Islands, having loose clusters of fragrant yellow flowers.

Origin of genista

1615–25; <New Latin, Latin: the broomplant

Jacinto Quesada drew back from the entangled buckthorn and genista.
The Wolf Cub | Patrick Casey
Resting under a solitary broom bush (a kind of genista), he gave vent to his disappointment in a prayer for death.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3 | Various
It feeds in July and August on broom, dyer's greenweed (genista tinctoria), persicaria, and other low plants.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series | Richard South
Fig. 677 represents the famous badge of the "broom-cod" or "planta genista," from which the name of the dynasty was derived.
A Complete Guide to Heraldry | Arthur Charles Fox-Davies
The only prominent form of vegetation is a peculiar tall broom—genista Etnensis—which here flourishes.
Etna | G. F. Rodwell

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