Podolobium ilicifolium

Podolobium ilicifolium, the Prickly Shaggy-pea is a shrub found in eastern and southern Australia. It is a common plant, found in dry or moist eucalyptus forest, often on clay or sandstone based soils. It grows to three metres tall.

The leaves are opposite or nearly opposite on the stem, and are 2 to 10 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. They are spikey and lobed, somewhat similar to the holly. The specific epithet ilicifolium which means “holly like leaves”. The bottom of the leaves are somewhat hairy. Yellow and red flowers form on racemes in spring and early summer. The fruit is a pea type pod, oval or oblong, 10 mm long and 2.5 mm in diameter, and are curved or straight.