Cytisus rectipilosus Adam.

Taxonomy: Fam. Fabaceae// Genus: Cytisus// Species: Cytisus rectipilosus Adam.

The taxonomic position of Cytisus rectipilosus Adam. is not fully resolved. According to Micevski (2001) both C. rectipilosus Adam. and C. agnipilus Velen. occur in North Macedonia and are considered separate species. Diklić (1972 in Josifović) accepts C. rectipilosus as a variant of C. decumbens. In the Cytisus treatment in Flora Europea, Frodin and Heywood (1968 in Tutin et al.) accept C. agnipilus but make no mention of C. rectipilosus. C. rectipilosus has no entry in The Euro+Med PlantBase (as of 20.01.2026), while according to the Plants of the World Online (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and GBIF it is a synonym of Cytisus agnipilus Velen.

The sub-population on Osogovo deviates from both taxa and needs further study – it has larger habit as mature specimens readily get over 0.5 m in hight and over 1 m in spread. It has white, patent curved indumentum, which combines characteristics reported for both C. rectipilosus and C. agnipilus.

Lifeform: Chamaephyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Habitat: Sparse shrubland, rocky terrains.

Flowering period: Spring (MAR, APR).

*Cytisus rectipilosus* – habit. Hilly region near village of Pripor, 31.03.2024.Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Cytisus rectipilosus* – habitat. Hills between Kochani and the village of Pripor, 11.04.2021.Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Cytisus rectipilosus Adamovic. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:489945-1 [Accessed 13.04.2021].

Cytisus agnipilus Velen. https://www.gbif.org/species/5354617 [Accessed 13.04.2021].

Micevski, K. 2001. Cytisus L., The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia. Vol. I, Book 5. Skopje: Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp. 1127–1132.

Diklić, N. 1972. Rod Cytisus L. In Josifović, M. (ed.), Flora SR Srbije, III. Beograd: Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti, pp. 491–496.

Frodin, D. G. & Heywood, V. H. 1968. Cytisus L. Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A. (eds). Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 86–90.

Last update: 20.01.2026.

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