Common names:

• genet  (Source: Ency CNatIn) - English
• Spanish-broom  (Source: Dict Rehm) - English
• weaver's-broom  (Source: Hortus 3) - English
• Spaanse besem  (Source: Weeds SAfr 2001) - Afrikaans
• genêt d'Espagne  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• Binsenginster  (Source: Dict Rehm) - German
• ginestra di Spagna  (Source: Mult Glossary Trees) - Italian
• ginstra  (Source: HerbSpices) - Italian
• giesteira  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Portuguese
• retama  (Source: Esp Veg Prom) - Spanish
• retama de olor  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• retama macho  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• retacchu  (Source: Esp Veg Prom) - Spanish (Bolivia)
• spanskginst  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish

Economic Importance:

• Food additives: flavoring (fide Ency CNatIn)
• Environmental: ornamental (fide Leg ErWild)
• Materials: essential oils (fide Flower Oils; Leg WorldEc)
• Materials: fiber (fide Leg WorldEc)
• Weed: potential seed contaminant (fide Econ Pl Aust; Weeds SAfr 2001)

Distributional Range:

Native

Africa

• MACARONESIA: Spain [Canary Islands]
• NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Libya (n.), Morocco, Tunisia

Asia-Temperate

• WESTERN ASIA: Israel, Lebanon, Syria (w.), Turkey
• CAUCASUS: Azerbaijan, Georgia

Europe

• SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Former Yugoslavia, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
• SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: France (incl. Corsica), Portugal, Spain (incl. Baleares)


Cultivated (widely cult.)

Naturalized

Africa

• MACARONESIA: Portugal [Azores]
• SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga]

Asia-Temperate

• CAUCASUS: Armenia, Georgia, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia]

Asia-Tropical

• INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Pakistan

Australasia

• AUSTRALIA: Australia [South Australia]
• NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Europe

• NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
• EASTERN EUROPE: Estonia, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
• SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria, Romania

Southern America

• CENTRAL AMERICA: Guatemala
• WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
• SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, [Buenos Aires, Entre Rios, La Pampa] Chile, Uruguay

References:

1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
2. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. Flora of Libya. 1976- (F Libya)
3. Allan, H. H. B. et al. Flora of New Zealand. 1961- (F NZeal)
4. Correa, J. E. & H. Y. Bernal 1992. Especies vegetales promisorias de los paises del Convenio Andres Bello. 1989-1998 (Esp Veg Prom) 8:481-489.
5. Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. 1986-1987 (HerbSpices)
6. Davis, P. H., ed. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. 1965-1988 (F Turk)
7. Duke, J. A. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance. 1981 (Leg WorldEc)
8. Euro+Med Editorial Committee Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource). (EuroMed Plantbase)
9. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14. 2003 (Pl SAfr ed2)
10. Graham, E. H. Legumes for erosion control and wildlife. USDA Misc. Publ. 412. 1941 (Leg ErWild)
11. Henderson, L. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12. 2001 (Weeds SAfr 2001)
12. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. (F ConoSur)
13. International Seed Testing Association A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 2. Trees. 1971 (Mult Glossary Trees)
14. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire Catalogue des plantes du Maroc. 1931-1941 (L Maroc)
15. Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75. 1999 (L Ecuador)
16. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. Flora SSSR. 1934-1964 (F USSR)
17. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane Legumes of South Asia: a checklist. 2003 (Leg SAsia)
18. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia. 1993 (Econ Pl Aust)
19. Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2. 1996 (Ency CNatIn)
20. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium Hortus third. 1976 (Hortus 3)
21. Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. Flora of Peru. 1936-1971; new ser. 1980- (F Peru)
22. Missouri Botanical Garden W³Tropicos (on-line resource). (TROPICOS)
23. Mouterde, P. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie. 1966- (F Liban)
24. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. Flora of [West] Pakistan. 1970- (F Pak)
25. Pajaujis Anonis, D. Flower oils and floral compounds in perfumery. (Flower Oils)
26. Pottier-Alapetite, G. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones. 1979-1981 (F Tunis)
27. Quézel, P. & S. Santa Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie. 1962-1963 (F Alger)
28. Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994 (Dict Rehm)
29. Silva, L. et al. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta). (L Azores)
30. Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark Flora of Guatemala. 1946-1976 (F Guat)
31. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. Flora europaea. 1964-1980 (F Eur)
32. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan Flora palaestina. 1966- (F Palest)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://germoplasma.iniaf.gob.bo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=35189. Accessed 7 junio 2026.