Also 8 liburnum. [L. (Pliny).] A small leguminous tree, Cytisus Laburnum, a native of the Alps, much cultivated on account of its profuse racemes of bright yellow flowers. Applied also to other species, as C. alpinus (Scotch laburnum), and similar plants of other genera (see quot. 1898).
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. lxvi. 741. Of Anagyris, Laburnum, and Arbor Iuda. Laburnum … The flowers do grow very thicke togither hanging by a very slender stemme.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, IV. 290. The Flowers [of Anagyris fœtida] also grow out in little bunches, like the other Laburnum but larger.
1754. Dodsley, Agriculture, ii. 387. And pale laburnum’s pendent flowers display Their different beauties.
1764. Wesley, Jrnl., 11 June. We have a tree…, the wood of which is of full as fine a red as mahogany, namely, the Liburnum.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 149. Laburnum, rich In streaming gold.
a. 1821. Keats, Ep., 271. The dark-leaved laburnum’s drooping clusters.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxxiii. Laburnums, dropping-wells of fire.
1898. Morris, Austral Eng., Laburnum, Native, n. the Tasmanian Clover-tree Goodenia lotifolia.… Laburnum, Sea-coast, n. also called Golden Chain, Sophora tomentosa.
b. attrib., as laburnum chain, gold, yellow.
1893. N. Gale, Country Muse, Ser. II. 2. The glory of laburnum-gold.
1899. Daily News, 23 May, 2/3. The laburnum chains are dwarfed. Ibid., 27 Feb., 6/6. Rose-pinks, laburnum-yellows, leaf-greens.
