Laburnum anagyroides Medik.
Golden chain, golden rain
Golden chain tree was introduced to North America in the early 1500s, favored for its radiant yellow hanging racemes of flowers.
Plants: Trees are 12–30′ (3.7–9.1 m) in height, with few branches and a width of 9–12′ (2.7–3.7 m).
Leaves: 1¼–3″ (3.3–7.6 cm), alternate, and tripinnate.
Flowers: Plentiful bright yellow hanging racemes, 6–10″ (15–25 cm) long. Individual flowers are bilaterally symmetrical, about ¾″ (1.9 cm) in size. Flowers appear from May to June.
Fruits: Resemble hanging clusters of pea pods.
Habitats: Damp or mesic, preferably calcerous, soils.
Edibility: Poisonous 
Seeds, which look somewhat similar to
peas, are poisonous, containing the alkoloid cytisine. Produces nervousness, stomach and intestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; irregular pulse, convulsions, coma; may be fatal.
Online References:
Plantillustrations.org (botanical illustrations)
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (toxicity information)
5/27/2013 · Underwoods, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (35 × 46 cm) 
5/27/2013 · Underwoods, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3′ (136 × 99 cm) 
5/27/2013 · Underwoods, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3′ (141 × 94 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Fabales | Legumes (pea and bean families) |
| Family | Fabaceae | Legume family (peas and beans) |
| Genus | Laburnum | An old Latin name mentioned by Pliny for the broad-leaved bean trefoil, a species of Cytisus in the Fabaceae (Thanks to Umberto Quattrocchi) |
| Species | anagyroides | Resembling genus Anagyris |
Laburnum anagyroides description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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