only reaches a height of , replaces the autonym on heavier clay soils, and occurs in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia; Bursaria spinosa Cav. subsp. spinosa is a shrub or small tree to and is widely distributed across eastern Australia, including Queensland and Tasmania. Subspecies lasiophylla had been known as Bursaria lasiophylla, first formally described in 1978 by Eleanor Marion Bennett, but reduced to a subspecies by Lindy Cayzer, Michael Crisp and Ian Telford in 1999. Distribution and habitat Bursaria spinosa is widespread and common in the understorey of eucalypt woodland in all states of Australia, apart from Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In New South Wales, B. spinosa grows in dry to wet forest in all but the most arid parts of the state, and is sometimes a weed on cleared land. In the Sydney region, it grows on clay- and shale-based soils, as an understory plant in association with grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana) and forest red gum (E. tereticornis) as well as the grass Themeda australis. It can form thickets on ungrazed farmland. In Victoria, the species is widespread and common throughout the state, except for the far north west, in heavier soils and in alpine areas, in South Australia it is widespread in the south-east of the state and in Tasmania it mainly occurs in dry areas. Subspecies lasiophylla has a more restricted distribution, and in New South Wales is found on the central and south coasts and central and southern tablelands, growing in woodland on heavier clay soils than subsp. spinosa. In Victoria, this subspecies mainly grows in dry, rocky places in forest and shrubland in eastern and central-western areas of that state. Ecology Living for 25 to 60 years, Bursaria spinosa can resprout from its woody base after bushfire. Highly rhizomatous, plants of a stand are often genetically a single plant. Despite being genetically identical, different plants and even single shoots can be very distinct in appearance (for instance, spineless shoots previously regarded as a subspecies "inermis"). Its seed is wind-dispersed and it is a colonising plant. A wide variety of insects visit the flowers of Bursaria spinosa, the most important pollinators of which appear to be beetles of several families. Common visitors recorded from field work around Armidale were jewel beetle species such as Curis splendens and Stigmodera inflata; longicorn beetles including Amphirhoe sloanei and Tropocalymma dimidiatum; scarab beetles; and tumbling