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Useful Temperate Plants

Calycotome villosa

(Poir.) Link

Fabaceae


The name of this genus is often spelled Calicotome. We are following IPNI and using Calycotome (http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advPlantNameSearch.do?find_family=&find_genus=Calycotome&find_species=&find_infrafamily=&find_infragenus=&find_infraspecies=&find_authorAbbrev=&find_includePublicationAuthors=on&find_includePublicationAuthors=off&find_includeBasionymAuthors=on&find_includeBasionymAuthors=off&find_publicationTitle=&find_isAPNIRecord=on&find_isAPNIRecord=false&find_isGCIRecord=on&find_isGCIRecord=false&find_isIKRecord=on&find_isIKRecord=false&find_rankToReturn=all&output_format=normal&find_sortByFamily=on&find_sortByFamily=off&query_type=by_query&back_page=plantsearch)

+ Synonyms

Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link

Calycotome cretica Presl ex Nyman

Cytisus lanigerus (Desf.) DC.

Spartium lanigerum Desf.

Spartium villosum Poir.

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Calycotome villosa is a much-branched, deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3 metres tall[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It makes a good pioneer species for restoring native woodland and is also grown as an ornamental, where it can be used to form a low, dense hedge.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Mediterranean - Portugal, Spain, Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordon, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.

Habitat

Dry stony habitats in evergreen scrub near the coast. It is especially common in areas after woodland clearance[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitDeciduous Shrub
Height2.00 m
PollinatorsInsects, Cleistogamous
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Calycotome villosa is native to the Mediterranean with its hot, dry summers and cool moist winters. It is not hardy outside the milder regions of the temperate zone. It can tolerate short-lived temperatures falling as low as -5 to -10°c if it is given perfect drainage[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Succeeds in a very well-drained soil in a sunny position[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants dislike root disturbance[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
] and should be put into their final positions as soon as possible.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The flowers and leafy stems are antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor and cytotoxic. It has been used in the treatment of furuncles, cutaneous abscess and chilblains[
1330
Title
Antioxidant Activities of Different Parts of Calicotome villosa (Poiret) Link (Leguminosae) from Turkey
Publication
 
Author
Murat Turan; Ummahan Öz; Cennet Özay; Ramazan Mammadov
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

The plant contains an essential oil, flavones, isoflavones, alkaloids and triterpenes[
1330
Title
Antioxidant Activities of Different Parts of Calicotome villosa (Poiret) Link (Leguminosae) from Turkey
Publication
 
Author
Murat Turan; Ummahan Öz; Cennet Özay; Ramazan Mammadov
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The thorny plants can be used for low hedging[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant quickly invades areas that have been deforested, where it can create suitable conditions for the forest to become re-established. Hence it is an excellent pioneer species for restoring native woodlands and also for establishing woodland gardens[
1309
Title
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Publication
 
Author
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin
Year
1981
ISBN
0-333-32221-5
Description
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest pre-soaking the seed for 12 - 24 hours (by which time it should have swollen up) in warm water and sowing it in a greenhouse in early spring. Pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in late spring or early summer in their permanent positions.
Cuttings of half ripe wood, mid summer in a frame. It is probably best to put each cutting in its own pot.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Calycotome+villosa>

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