Daviesia euphorbioides

Daviesia euphorbioides, commonly known as Wongan cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, erect to sprawling, cactus-like shrub with thick, fleshy branchlets and phyllodes reduced to scattered, sharply-pointed spines, and bright yellow, reddish-brown and maroon flowers.

Description
Daviesia euphorbioides is an open, erect to sprawling, cactus-like shrub that typically grows to a height of 40–80 cm with branchlets that are thick and fleshy, 6–10 mm in diameter. Its phyllodes are reduced to scattered, inconspicuous, sharply-pointed spines 0.5–2.5 mm long and 1.0–1.5 mm wide. The flowers are arranged in single groups of three to six on a peduncle 0.5–1.5 mm long, the rachis less than 0.5 mm long, each flower on a pedicel 1.0–1.5 mm long with overlapping bracts up to 0.75 mm long at the base. The sepals are 3–4 mm long and joined at the base, the two upper lobes joined for most of their length and the lower three triangular. The standard petal is broadly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 7.5–9 mm long, 6–8.5 mm wide and bright yellow with a reddish-brown base. The wings are 6.5–7.5 mm long and maroon, and the keel 6.5–9 mm long and maroon. Flowering occurs from July to September and the fruit is a wedge-shaped pod 13–16 mm long.

Taxonomy and naming
Daviesia euphorbioides was first formally described in 1864 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis from specimens collected by James Drummond. The specific epithet (euphorbioides) means "Euphorbia-like".

Distribution and habitat
Wongan cactus grows on flats and sandplains, often in disturbed areas, between Wongan Hills, Dowerin and the Moonijin Nature Reserve in the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region of south-western Western Australia.

Conservation status
Daviesia euphorbioides is classed as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.