broom rape, common name for plants of the Orobanchaceae, the broom rape family. They are parasitic on the roots of other plants; they have small leaves and little or no green color. In some species the leaves are entirely absent. Most species are found in dry sandy areas of the Old World. Broom rapes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Scrophulariales.

broom, common name for plants of two closely related and similar Old World genera, Cytisus and Genista, of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). They are mostly twiggy leguminous shrubs with abundant yellow or white (in Cytisus, purple also) pealike blossoms. The common, or Scotch, broom (Cytisus scoparius) is naturalized in parts of North America; the tops have been much used as a diuretic. The Canary broom, or so-called genista of florists, is Cytisus canariensis, a yellow-flowered evergreen shrub. Species of the genus Genista include Genista tinctoria, called also dyer's-greenweed, which yields yellow-to-green dyes. Other plants are also called broom. Broom is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Leguminosae.

Scotch broom: see broom.

In botany, any of several leguminous shrubs or small trees of the genus Cytisus, native to temperate regions of Europe and western Asia. They are cultivated widely, chiefly for their attractive flowers. The compound leaves have three leaflets. The solitary or clustered yellow, purple, or white flowers resemble pea flowers. The fruit is a flat pod. A common, almost leafless species is C. scoparius, a shrub with bright yellow flowers often grown for erosion control in warm climates. Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a shrub of the lily family with small whitish flowers and red berries.

Learn more about broom with a free trial on Britannica.com.