Echinospartum barnadesii explained

Echinospartum barnadesii is a species of plant of the Fabaceae family.

Description

Very thorny, rounded, branched shrub, forming cushions close to the ground. Branches are opposite and grooved. Trifoliate opposite leaves, with narrowly lanceolate leaflets. The flowers are at the end of the branches, gathered in tight clusters of 3 to 9. Yellow corolla, butterfly-shaped, with a silky exterior. Flowers during the summer.^[1]

Distribution and habitat

In the Iberian Peninsula. In acid soils. Dry, sunny places.

Taxonomy

Echinospartum barnadesii was described by (Graells) Rothm. and published in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 72: 81. 1941.^[2]

Etymology

• Echinospartum: generic name derived from the Ancient Greek: echînos; Latinised echinus = "hedgehog, marine and terrestrial, dome of chestnuts, and so on"; and the genus Spartium L. Plants of this genus are often spiny and rounded.^[3]
• barnadesii: epithet given in honour of the Spanish botanist Miguel Barnades.

Subspecies

Includes two subspecies.

• Echinospartum barnadesii (Graells) Rothm. subsp. barnadesii which occurs only in the Sierra de Gredos, from 1400 to 2250 meters above sea level and is considered a non-threatened endemic.
• Echinospartum barnadesii subsp. dorsisericeum G.López which lives between 750 and 2200 meters above sea level in the mountains of the northwest, centre and south of the Iberian Peninsula.^[4]

Synonymy

• Cytisanthus barnadesii (Graells) Gams in Hegi
• Echinospartum lusitanicum subsp. barnadesii (Graells) C. Vicioso ex M. Laínz
• Genista barnadesii Graells
• Genista lusitanica subsp. barnadesii (Graells) C. Vicioso^[5]

Common names

In Spanish: acebilla, ardivella, ardivieja, ardiviella, aulaga, bolaga, cambrión, cambronera, cambrón, cambrón, erizo, erizón, escambrión, escambruñeiro, escambrón, espino, espino cambrión, espino cambrón, espino escambrión, espino escambrón, espinu escambrión, gatuña.

Notes and References

1. Book: Penas, A. . Plantas Silvestres de Castilla y León . Diez . J. . Llamas . F. . Rodríguez . M. . Ámbito . 84-86770-40-8 . Valladolid . es.
2. Web site: Echinospartum barnadesii . March 31, 2013 . Tropicos.org . Missouri Botanical Garden.
3. Web site: Flora Vascular .
4. Book: López González, Ginés A. . Guía de los árboles y arbustos de la Península Ibérica y Baleares . Mundi-Prensa . 2007 . 84-8476-312-9 . 3rd . Madrid.
5. Web site: Echinospartum barnadesii . March 31, 2013 . Real Jardín Botánico . Proyecto Anthos.