Ulex europaeus

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Ulex europaeus
    n 1: very spiny and dense evergreen shrub with fragrant golden-
         yellow flowers; common throughout western Europe [syn:
         {gorse}, {furze}, {whin}, {Irish gorse}, {Ulex europaeus}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Furze \Furze\, n. [OE. firs, As. fyrs.] (Bot.)
   A thorny evergreen shrub ({Ulex Europ[ae]us}), with beautiful
   yellow flowers, very common upon the plains and hills of
   Great Britain; -- called also {gorse}, and {whin}. The dwarf
   furze is {Ulex nanus}.
   [1913 Webster]