Citation: Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:170 (1864).

Synonymy: Bossiaea aculeata F. Muell.; Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 2:120 (1861).

Common name: Spiny mallee-pea.

Description:
Many stemmed low subshrubs or shrubs to 40 cm high, with rigid striate terete simple or branched often zig-zagging puberulent branches and thick rhizomes; leaves if present simple, lower ones obovate or obovate-oblong, the upper ones linear-oblong, pungent, 5-30 x 1-8 mm, with a mass of glandular processes in their axils; stipules spinescent, 3-10 mm long, spreading.

Flowers rarely 1, mostly 2 per axil, 10-20 mm long, on more or less pubescent pedicels to 5 mm long; bract triangular, c. 1 mm long, pubescent, bracteoles distal on the pedicels, rhomboid, c. 1.5-3.5 x up to 3.5 mm, pubescent; calyx 5-9 mm long, with 4 obtuse lobes of nearly equal length, rather shorter than the tube, the uppermost rather broader and the lowest rather longer than the lateral ones; standard suborbicular, 12-18 x 10-13 mm, entire, yellow to purple, wings and keel about the same length, the latter dark-purple; ovary stipitate, 2-6-ovulate.

Pod shortly stipitate, ovate-oblong in outline, 15-20 x 6-8 mm, nearly flat, coriaceous; seeds 3 or 4, separated by transverse partitions, ovate, 2.5-4 x 1.5-2.5 mm, the collar-like aril raised laterally.

	Templetonia aculeata twig, flower, calyx, legume and seed.
Image source: fig 377a 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. 423.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: FR, EA, EP, NL, MU.   W.Aust.; N.S.W. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Aug. — Oct.

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