Citation: R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 586 (1810).

Synonymy: Crossotoma spinescens, Pogonetes spinescens, Scaevola lycioides, Scaevola oleoides, Scaevola spinescens

Common name: Spiny fanflower, prickly fan flower, currant bush, poontoo.

Description:
Shrub to 2 m high, with scurfy tomentum of stellate hairs; stems erect, densely divaricate-branched, rigid, terete, greyish and glabrous to tomentose when young, often forming terminal and lateral spines; leaves cauline, sessile, mostly clustered, obovate to spathulate or broad-linear, obtuse, 1-3.5 cm long, 1-6 mm wide, entire, thick, glabrous or finely tomentose.

Flowers solitary in leaf axils; peduncles slender, 0.5-2 cm long; bracteoles linear, 2-5 mm long, directly below the ovary; sepals completely connate into a minute sinuate rim, tomentose; corolla 9-16 mm long, white to a pale greenish-yellow, rarely purplish-veined, tomentose to glabrous outside, bearded inside the throat; lobes oblong-elliptic, 3-6 mm long, apiculate, with narrow ciliate wings; tube 6-10 mm long; style 8-12 mm long, sparsely pilose; indusium depressed-obovate, c. 1.5 mm wide, sparsely hairy, with prominent whitish bristles around the orifice; ovary ovoid, 2-3 mm long, 2-celled, tomentose to glabrous.

Fruit more or less fleshy, ovoid to obovoid, 5-7 mm long, 2-celled, dark purplish, glabrous.

	Habit, leaf, flower
Image source: fig. 636i in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982)Plants of western New South Wales, p. 638.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: NW, LE, NU, GT, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, YP.   W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: most of the year.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available