Gorse bitter-pea

Daviesia ulicifolia is a rigid, openly branched, spiny shrub of the Fabaceae family endemic to Australia, typically growing to about 2.5 metres tall. The branchlets terminate in sharp spines and bear small, sessile to sub-sessile phyllodes (modified petioles) that take the place of true leaves, varying greatly in shape from linear and almost terete to narrowly to broadly ovate or triangular, 5 to 35 millimetres long and 0.5 to 6 millimetres wide, with a prominent midrib and a sharply pointed apex. The papilionaceous flowers are produced singly, in pairs or in axillary clusters of up to seven from August to October; the standard petal is yellow to orange-yellow with a red ring surrounding a yellow centre, 3 to 6 millimetres long, while the wings are yellow marked with dark red and the keel is maroon to red. The fruit is a small, glabrous, flattened triangular pod 5 to 8 millimetres long, containing one or two seeds. It is one of the most widespread and variable Daviesia species, occurring across all mainland states of Australia in heath, dry sclerophyll forest and mallee.