Peter Lawson and I are researching the distribution of this species. I would be very grateful for records of U. gallii for any 1 km squares not shown on the accompanying map. The species is easy to find from late August to November when it is in full flower. It is usually a shorter plant with deeper yellow flowers than the Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus) which flowers mainly in the Spring. However, the two species can only be reliably distinguished by measuring the flower size and bracteole width. Once recognised, the Western Gorse has a distinctive 'jizz' which can be spotted even from a moving car - but you need to get your eye in first. It is frequent on Rushmere common on the eastern edge of Ipswich and at Walberswick Common, but in many places there may be only one or two plants.
Martin Sanford
Left - U. Europaeus. R-ight U. gallii.
Drawings by Hilli Thompson. Reprinted from Fig. 493 of Clive Stace's New Flora of the British Isles with the kind permission of the author and Cambridge University Press
| Calyx length | Bracteoles | |
|---|---|---|
| U. gallii | 9-13 mm | less than 1.5 × 1mm, less than or equal to 2× as wide as pedicels |
| U. europaeus | 10-16mm | 1.8 - 4.5 × 1.5 - 4mm, less than or equal to 2× as wide as pedicels |