Erinacea anthyllis
Erinacea anthyllis, the blue broom, hedgehog plant, or rushy kidney vetch, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to stony mountainous places in the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and Morocco. It is a dwarf, spiny, evergreen shrub growing to a dome shape 30 cm (12 in) tall and wide. It has dense foliage, and lilac coloured pea-like flowers in late spring and early summer.
| Erinacea anthyllis | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Erinacea |
| Species: | E. anthyllis |
| Binomial name | |
| Erinacea anthyllis | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Latin specific epithet anthyllis highlights the plant's similarity to the related kidney vetch, Anthyllis vulneraria.[2]
Cultivation
Erinacea anthyllis is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is best grown in sun, in sharply-drained alkaline soil which reproduces the limestone of its native habitat. Once established, it is extremely long-lived.[3][4]
It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5][6]
Gallery
Montsec de Rúbies, foothills of the Pyrenees
Close-up of flowers
Graell de Roca Alta, Montsec
References
- "Erinacea anthyllis". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
- RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- "Alpine Garden Society - Erinacea anthyllis". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- "RHS Plant Selector - Erinacea anthyllis". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 36. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
Media related to Erinacea anthyllis at Wikimedia Commons
