Prickly Geebung

Persoonia juniperina is an erect to low-lying shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–2 m (1 ft 0 in – 6 ft 7 in) with smooth bark and hairy young branchlets. The leaves are linear, 8–35 mm (0.31–1.38 in) long and 0.7–1.5 mm (0.028–0.059 in) wide. The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to forty on a rachis up to 150 mm (5.9 in) long that grows into a leafy shoot after flowering, each flower on a hairy pedicel 0.8–3 mm (0.031–0.118 in) long. The tepals are yellow, sometimes hairy on the outside, 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) long with yellow anthers. Flowering occurs from December to February and the fruit is an oval, yellowish green to purplish drupe about 10 mm (0.39 in) long and 8 mm (0.31 in) wide.

Persoonia juniperina is found across Tasmania and from Green Cape on the New South Wales far south coast, south through Victoria and into southeastern South Australia as far west as Adelaide. The habitat is sclerophyll forest and heath to an altitude of 700 m (2,300 ft).

A field study manipulating pollination showed P. juniperina was partly self-compatible but cross-pollination led to greater fruit production.

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