Narrow-leaf Bitter-pea - native (Daviesia leptophylla)

Family: Fabaceae (Pea family).

Native of Australia.

A widespread and common erect shrub to a metre or more. The small flowers are in short sprays from the leaf bases.

Identify by:

• the long narrow blunt-pointed leaves
• the small brownish flowers
• the small triangular seed pods.

The leaves have a bitter taste, hence bitter pea. Some forms of Narrow-leaf Bitter-pea have much shorter leaves.

Name: leptophylla: slender leaves.

What appear to be the leaves of this plant are technically flattened leaf stalks (phyllodes), similar to many of the wattles.

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