A prostrate shrub under 1 ft in height, and evergreen from the character of its green, foliaceous, winged branches. Stems with a slender, woody core, but edged on each side with a membranous wing, sometimes continuous up the stem, sometimes interrupted at the joints, the stem thus becoming flat and nearly 1⁄4 in. wide. Leaves few and scattered, oval or ovate, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. long, hairy. Racemes erect, terminal, cylindrical, 1 to 11⁄2 in. long, hairy. Flowers closely packed, each 1⁄2 in. long, yellow, the petals expanding but little; calyx hairy. Pods 3⁄4 in. long, silky, four- to six-seeded. Blossoms in June. Bot. Mag., n.s., t. 332.
Native of central and S.E. Europe, frequently inhabiting upland pastures. It is very hardy, and thrives well in gardens, where it attracts notice for its pretty flowers and unusual stems. It may be used as an edging for borders, or grown in patches in the front of shrubberies.
