What Does laburnum Mean
The term codeso comes from the vulgar Latin cutĭsus , in turn derived from the Greek kýtisos . The concept refers to a bush that can measure up to two meters high and shines with its flowers yellow.
Before proceeding, it is important to mention that a bush is a plant that has a woody stem with branches . These are not too tall species, which can survive for several years.
Returning to the idea of laburnum, this bush belongs to the family group of the papilionaceae . This means that it is a dicotyledonous angiosperm whose flowers have a yellowish corolla and a dozen stamens .
In addition to the yellow flowers, laburnum has leaves formed by three leaflets. On the other hand, they harbor kidney-shaped seeds in their fruit pods.
Several species of the genus Adenocarpus are colloquially known as laburnum. One of them is the Adenocarpus complicatus , which usually measures less than two meters.
This laburnum is found in southwestern Europe and in the Mediterranean area. It also appears in certain regions of the African continent .
The Adenocarpus hispanicus , meanwhile, receives the denomination of cambroño or laburnum. On the other hand, the Adenocarpus viscosus is often referred to as the Teide codex , just as the Adenocarpus foliosus is called the mountain codex .
The latter, which is also known simply as laburnum, belongs to the legume family ( Fabaceae ) and is a species native to the Canary Islands. It can be found throughout the archipelago except for Fuerteventura and Lanzarote . Regarding the altitude at which it is found on each island, we can say that in general it ranges from 500 to 1500 meters above sea level; However, in Gran Canaria it reaches 1800 and in La Palma and Tenerife, 2000.
The mountain laburnum is capable of withstanding strong winds, sudden changes in temperature and even snowfall, three common phenomena at such high altitudes. The areas in which this forest grows are humid pine forests and monteverde. If it is in the same place as the Teide broom (from La Palma or Tenerife) or the yellow broom (from Gran Canaria), it can give rise to populations of broom-codesar , the name of the open scrub that forms.
This shrub can measure up to four meters in height and has a great density of dark green trifoliate leaves that develop in groups around the new branches, reddish in color and with hairs, which produce a particular contrast with the trunk. grayish. It prefers degraded land, the sides of forest roads or crops.
The flower of the laburnum is yellow and its texture is silky, which makes it very impressive in conjunction with the rest of the plant during spring. As a curious fact, only in La Palma and Gran Canaria there is a variant of Adenocarpus foliolosus : Adenocarpus foliolosus var.villosus . On the other hand, in El Hierro there is also one, especially rare: Adenocarpus ombriosus . The latter is a threatened species.
It is interesting to note that, in ancient times, different types of laburnum were used as medicinal plants . Infusions used to be made in order to whet the appetite or with the aim of relieving coughs , for example.
Another of the properties of an infusion made from laburnum flower is the induction of vomiting, something that may be necessary to voluntarily expel any toxic substance that has been accidentally ingested. By roasting this flower before making the infusion, it is possible to use it as a vermifuge , a product that helps eliminate worms from the intestines.