Barleria prionitis

Barleria prionitis is an erect, much-branched shrub that can grow up to 1.50 m in height.
It is armed with spines located in the leaf axils.
It is part of the under-storey of the Tropical Dry Evergreen forest.

The stem of Barleria prionitis is rough with numerous light lenticels.
The branches are green, terete, lenticellate and glabrous.
The bark is light brown to grey in colour.
The spines are present at the axils of the leaf, at the stem branching and at the nodes.
They are straight, multiple from 3 to 5 on each side of the leaf axils.
The spines are brown in colour, and about 1 cm long.

The leaves of Barleria prionitis are simple growing in an opposite arrangement.
They are ovate-obovate in shape, with a mucronate tip.
The leaf base is attenuate (slender), the margin ciliate and the apex obtuse or acute. 
The leaves are 5 to 12 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. 
They are coriaceous and sparsely hirsute on the lower side. 
The petiole is about 2 cm long. 
There are 2 to 4 straight spines that grow at the leaves axils.
The leaf spines are green to grey in colour.

The flowers of Barleria prionitis are golden yellow to orange in colour, with a very small stalk. 
They grow solitarily or in cymose clusters in the axils of the upper leaves and on bracts. 
The flower base has 2 lanceolate bracts about 1 cm long with spiny tips. 
The corolla has 5 petals, and is thinly pubescent without. 
It has 2 stamens about 3.5 cm long with 3 mm long anthers. 
The ovary has 2 ovules and is 3.50 mm wide.

The fruit of Barleria prionitis is an ovoid capsule which is about 2 cm long. 
It is green in colour and pubescent when unripe, turning to grey when mature. 
Each fruit contains 2 seeds.

The seeds of Barleria prionitis are ovoid in shape, appressed-hairy and woody. 
They are about 2 cm long and 0.50 cm wide. 
They are light brown to grey in colour.