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Cytisus striatus
Also called Striated Broom, Portuguese Broom, Hairy Fruit Broom, Striped Broom
Cytisus striatus is a bushy, upright broom shrub from western Iberia and northern Morocco, growing 1 to 3 m tall, often used in restoration and once valued for thatching and fodder. It thrives in open, sunny sites with acidic, poor soil and tolerates drought well.
Cytisus striatus is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names hairy-fruited broom and Portuguese broom. This plant is native to the west of the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Morocco. It has been introduced to and has become invasive in parts of western North America and other regions with Mediterranean-type climates.
Chemical analyses of flowers and fruits indicate significant nutritional and phytochemical value. The flowers contain approximately 21% protein, 18% fibre, and 2% lipids. The fruits contain 12% protein, 42% fibre, and 1% lipids. Both are rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, with no detectable cytotoxicity in cell assays.
Extracts from C. striatus contain isoflavonoids that act as antibiotic adjuvants against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These compounds are only moderately antimicrobial on their own but enhance the activity of ciprofloxacin and erythromycin by interfering with bacterial resistance mechanisms.
The species is native to Portugal and Spain, extending into northern Morocco, where it forms part of shrubland ecosystems known as giestais. It typically grows in acidic, nutrient-poor soils from granite, schist, or quartzite. C. striatus is commonly found along roadsides, open hillsides, in forest clearings, fallow lands, and rocky slopes, growing at altitudes up to 1,200 m.
Historically, Portuguese broom was used for thatching, broom-making, animal fodder, and as a soil improver due to its nitrogen-fixing capabilities. Its flowers have been used in folk medicine for treating rheumatism, gout, hypotension, and liver disorders.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cytisus striatus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
