Prickly bush-pea

Appearance

''Pultenaea juniperina'' is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 1.2–3 m and has its young stems covered with curled hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately, varying in shape from linear to narrow elliptic, narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, or lance shaped, often concave, often heart-shaped at the base and taper to a sharp point on the tip. They are mostly 5–30 mm long and 1.5–2.5 mm wide with a lance-shaped stipule 2–3 mm long at the base. The lower surface of the leaves is darker than the upper surface and the edges are sometimes curved downwards.

The flowers are 7–13 mm long, arranged singly or in clusters, in leaf axils near the ends of short side-shoots with egg-shaped, tapering bracts 2 mm long, each flower on a pedicel 2–3 mm long. The sepals are 4–7 mm long with lance-shaped bracteoles 1.5–3 mm long at the base. The standard petal is yellow to orange with red striations, the wings yellow to orange and the keel yellow with a red tip or all red. Flowering occurs from October to November and the fruit is a hairy pod, the lower half enclosed with the remains of the sepals.

Naming

''Pultenaea juniperina'' was first formally described in 1805 by Jacques Labillardière in his book ''Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen''. The specific epithet means "''juniper''-like".

The common name "prickly bush-pea" is used on the mainland for this species and for the rare ''Pultenaea aristata''. "Prickly beauty" is given as the common name in Tasmania,

Varieties of ''P. juniperina'' have been described, but the names are not accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
⤷  ''Pultenaea juniperina'' var. ''latifolia'' Labill., and implicitly the autonym ''P. juniperina'' Labill. var. ''juniperina'', were described by George Bentham in ''Flora Australiensis'' and are regarded as synonyms of ''P. juniperina'';
⤷  ''Pultenaea juniperina'' var. ''leiocalyx'' Blakely described in ''Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium'' in 1941, is regarded as a synonym of ''P. juniperina'';
⤷  ''Pultenaea juniperina'' var. ''macrophylla'' Wawra published in ''Itinera principum S. Coburgi'' is also regarded as a synonym of ''P. juniperina'';
⤷  ''Pultenaea juniperina'' var. ''mucronata'' Corrick published in the journal ''Muelleria'' is regarded as a synonym of the previously published ''P. juniperina'' var. ''planifolia'';
⤷  ''Pultenaea juniperina'' var. ''planifolia'' H.B.Will. published in the ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria'' is regarded as a synonym of ''P. blakelyi'' Joy Thomps.

''Pultenaea forsythiana'' Blakely is also regarded as a synonym of ''P. juniperina'', but is an accepted species in Victoria.

Distribution

Prickly bush-pea is endemic to south-eastern Australia where it grows in forest, woodland and heath. In New South Wales it occurs in the Armidale area and on the coast and tablelands south from the Brindabella Range, including in the Australian Capital Territory and Kosciuszko National Park. In Victoria it is treated as distinct from ''Pultenaea forsythiana''. If records of that species are included, ''P. juniperina'' is widespread in the southern half of Victoria. The species is widespread in Tasmania.

Habitat

Prickly bush-pea is endemic to south-eastern Australia where it grows in forest, woodland and heath. In New South Wales it occurs in the Armidale area and on the coast and tablelands south from the Brindabella Range, including in the Australian Capital Territory and Kosciuszko National Park. In Victoria it is treated as distinct from ''Pultenaea forsythiana''. If records of that species are included, ''P. juniperina'' is widespread in the southern half of Victoria. The species is widespread in Tasmania.