Common name: Prickly Beard-heath
Leucopogon juniperinus R.Br. APNI* 
Description: Erect, densely branched shrub to 1 m high; branchlets pubescent.
Leaves oblong to ± obovate, 5.6–11.8 mm long, 1.2–2.5 mm wide, margins recurved, finely toothed; lamina thin, apex narrowly acute, tip pungent to 1 mm long; base truncate; lamina thin, upper surface convex, concolorous, glabrous, lower surface slightly ribbed and grooved with midrib prominent near apex; petiole 0.3–0.6 mm long.
Flowers erect, solitary plus rudiment, white; peduncles c. 1 mm long; bracteoles 1.3–1.7 mm long. Sepals 2.8–4 mm long. Corolla tube 5.4–7.9 mm long, internally sparsely hairy below throat; lobes 1.9–2.9 mm long.
Fruit ovoid or ellipsoid, 3.2–4 mm long, smooth or slightly ridged, glabrous, yellow at maturity.
Flowering: May–October
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in dry and wet sclerophyll forest and woodland on various soils over shale or sandstone, west to Guyra and lower Blue Mtns.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
Text by J. M. Powell, except for groups with contributors listed
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
ECOLOGY
Life History
Vegetative spread No.
Flowers White, May--October.
Fruit/seed Succulent fruit (drupe), average fresh weight 22 mg (J. Howell pers. comm.), ovoid--ellipsoid, 4 mm long, yellow at maturity August--January,
Dispersal, establishment and growth Diaspore: fruit, both vertebrate and ant-adapted dispersal (Westoby et al 1990). Coloniser of disturbed sites. Mycorrhizas possibly assist breakdown of woody seed coat and establishment of seedling, but presence not related to nitrogen status of plant (Reed 1989).
Fire response Killed by high intensity fire (at Lane Cove River 1/1994, P. Kubiak pers. comm.).
Interaction with other organisms Can tolerate Casuarina allelopathy, possibly assisted by mycorrhizal association (Reed 1989). Foodplant of moth larvae Poecilasthena pulchraria (Common 1990).
Habitat
Habitat Forest and open areas.
Altitude 0--300 m
Annual rainfall 900--1200 mm
Typical local abundance Frequent--occasional.
Vegetation Moist eucalypt open-forest e.g. with Eucalyptus saligna, E. pilularis, Syncarpia glomulifera; drier open-forest e.g. with E. tereticornis, E. maculata, E. crebra, Bursaria spinosa, and woodland with Eucalyptus eugenioides, E. longifolia, open shrubland of Melaleuca armillaris on ridgetop (M. Robinson pers. comm.).
Substrate Clay soils particularly from Wianamatta Shale. On Berry siltstone/Budgong Sandstone/Bombo Latite Member in Illawarra (M. Robinson pers. comm.). Medium nutrients, well-drained.
Exposure Light shade--full sun.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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