Retama monosperma

Retama monosperma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Retama
Species:	R. monosperma
Binomial name
	Retama monosperma; (L.) Boiss.
Subspecies
	R. monosperma subsp. eumonosperma ; R. monosperma subsp. monosperma ;
Synonyms
	Lygos monosperma (L.) Heywood ; Genista monosperma (L.) Lam. ; Spartium monospermum L. ; Spartium clusii Spach ; Retama webbii (Spach) Webb ; Spartium webbii Spach ;

Retama monosperma, the bridal broom^[1] or bridal veil broom, is a flowering bush species in the genus Retama.

Retama monosperma forms root nodules with Sinorhizobium fredii. The larvae of the moths Phyllonorycter hesperiella and Phyllonorycter spartocytisi feed on R. monosperma.

The seeds contain cytisine, a toxic alkaloid. Fifteen other quinolizidine and three dipiperidine alkaloids can also be isolated from different parts of the plant. In particular, the presence of (+)-sparteine, α- and β-isosparteine, (+)-17-oxosparteine, (-)-lupanine, 5,6-dehydrolupanine, (-)-anagyrine, (-)-N-methylcytisine and (+)-ammodendrine can be detected.^[2]

References

^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Retama monosperma". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
^ Alkaloids from Retama monosperma ssp. eumonosperma. Touati D, Allain P, Pellecuer J, Fkih-Tetouani S and Agoumi A, Fitoterapia, 1996, volume 67, number 1, pages 49-52, INIST 3027852