Prickly Bossiaea

Did you know

• Bossiaea spinescens bears yellow and red pea-flowers directly on its spiny, leafless green stems rather than on leaves.
• Many Bossiaea species have reduced or absent leaves, with photosynthesis conducted through flattened, leaf-like stems called cladodes.
• The genus contains around 60 species, all endemic to Australia — a remarkable example of radiation within a continent.
• It is adapted to nutrient-poor soils where most legumes struggle, fixing nitrogen to enrich the surrounding ground.
• The genus is named after Aimé Boissieu de la Martinière, the naturalist on La Pérouse's ill-fated Pacific expedition.

Color meanings

Uses

• ornamental
• native garden
• erosion control