Genus Ulex (Noun)
Meaning
Genus of Eurasian spiny shrubs: gorse.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Ulex europaeus is the only member of the genus Ulex to have become widely naturalised outside of Europe.
- Furze and whin are terms commonly used in certain areas for species of the genus Ulex, as are gorse and broom locally for many species.
- A phylogenetic analysis suggests that Ulex forms a monophyletic genus and has separated into different clades within that genus.
- One hypothesis to explain this geographic diversity of genus Ulex suggests the ancestor originated on mainland Europe before drifting southwest with Atlantic drift, being preserved within cooler isolated higher mountains when Britain split and got left isolated within Southern Western part, enabling growth & separate preservation around existing valleys like Lake district hills possibly ending northern push somewhere through Manchester giving rest to one that went north between IOM possibly even within Anglesey, moving further again ending within possibly Western Ireland this gives existing UK range seen.
- The taxonomy of genus Ulex is complicated by hybridisation between the two species in some areas as is true of other closely related congeneric species.