Scoparia dulcis. a. Fertile branch, b. Leaf. c. Section of leaf showing glands, d. Node. e. Flower, from below, f. Flower, front-side view. g. Flower, longitudinally dissected, h. Floral diagram, i. Fruit. Drawn by Priscilla Fawcett. From Correll and Correll 1982.

Not everyone agrees that it should be called “sweet,” but many agree on its use as a broom. In French, it is balai doux [balié doux, balais doux, balé dou, balye du] (sweet broom, Haiti, Dominica, Trinidad), balai savane (savanna broom, Guadeloupe, Martinique), balié sauvaj (wild broom, Haiti), or herbe à balai (broom herb, French Antilles). In Spanish, it becomes escoba dulce (sweet broom, Venezuela, Panama), escobeta (little broom, Central America), escobilla (little broom, Cuba, Honduras, Venezuela), escobilla menudita (tiny little broom Colombia), escobo dulce (sweet broom, Colombia), or pichanga dulce (sweet broom, Colombia). Even miel de tierra (earth honey, Argentina) is a reference to the sweetness, although not to the broom. In

Nicaragua, it is brum sirpi (sweet broom, Miskito) and brum tahplira (sweet? broom, Miskito).