Retama

Retama (also known as rotem, Hebrew: רותם) is a genus of flowering bushes in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the broom tribe, Genisteae. Retama broom bushes are found natively in North Africa, the Levant and some parts of southern Europe. Retama raetam and Retama monosperma have white flowers, while Retama sphaerocarpa has yellow flowers. It remains an open question in taxonomy whether the members of the genus Retama should be incorporated into the genus Genista (see Genisteae). The species contain cytisine, a toxic alkaloid. In the Spanish language the name retama is commonly used for broom bushes in general, including the genus Retama.