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John Grimshaw (2021)
Recommended citation
Grimshaw, J.M. (2021), 'Erinacea' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Erinacea consists of the single species Erinacea anthyllis, under which a full description will be found. A member of the Tribe Genisteae, which encompasses the familiar brooms and gorses as well as Lupinus and Laburnum, its precise relationship to other members of the tribe are unclear. Morphologically it is close to Cytisus, but there is some molecular evidence linking it to Retama or Spartium (Lewis et al. 2005). Its name, derived from erinaceus, a hedgehog, is very apt, as the small rounded bushes bristle aggressively with prickles.