Discaria pubescens

In Tasmania, it has become restricted to the central highlands (its stronghold), the southern Midlands and the Launceston/Perth area
Much of its grassland and woodland habitat has long been converted for agriculture, with plants now mostly restricted to riparian areas protected by inaccessibility and rockiness
Only 1,000 to 2,000 plants remain, sometimes scattered in low numbers over large areas
Despite the ferocious spines of the species when mature, seedlings are highly palatable to native and introduced animals, stock and insects, resulting in small over mature subpopulations
Because of this, the species is subject to ongoing decline
It is also at risk from land developments, roadside maintenance, chance events due to low numbers and fragmentation, and impacts of climate change
Small occurrences would benefit from periodic browsing protection to provide opportunities for the recruitment of seedlings

Etymology:

Flowers:

The white to cream flowers are solitary or occur in few-flowered clusters
They occur in axils of small leaves at the base and on the underside of the spiny branches
The pedicels are 2 to 3 mm long
The sepals are somewhat spreading, and 1 to 1.5 mm long, and the petals are about 1 mm long
The stamens are sub equal to and weakly hooded by the petals
The style is minute
The disc-like receptacle supporting the flower parts is prominent, and obscurely 5-angled

Fruit:

The fruit is a capsule that is prominently 3-lobed and 4 to 5mm in diameter
With the valves separating incompletely at maturity and splitting dorsally and medially
Each pod contains 1 to 3 ovoid, leathery, black-brown seed

Leaves:

The tiny leaves are soon deciduous, giving the plant a leafless appearance
They may persist on new growth
They are more or less oblong to 10 mm long and 3 mm wide, with minutely toothed margins and an obtuse or mucronate apex within an apical notch
The surfaces are glabrous or occasionally with a few hairs near the tip
The stipules are dark reddish-brown, about 1 mm long, often shallowly joined around the node, and pubescent on the inner face

Stem & branches:

Have the appearance and flexibility of stiff plastic
The mature stems are hairless, dark green and smooth, the surface being almost waxy
The plant is dominated by stout spreading spines
They are usually between 1.5 and 4 cm long, sometimes to 7 cm long
They are positioned on opposite sides of the stems at regular intervals

Roots:

Habit:

Arigid, much-branched spreading shrub that is typically 30 to 90 cm tall and wide
Occasionally up to 2.5 m tall
Some occurrences on mainland Australia are comprised of prostrate shrubs

Habitat:

Distribution:

Additional notes:

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