common beard-heath

Leucopogon virgatus is an erect to low-lying shrub that typically grows to a height of 35–60 cm (14–24 in) high and has softly-hairy, redish brown branchlets. The leaves are more or less erect, linear to narrowly lance-shaped or egg-shaped, 2–25 mm (0.079–0.984 in) long and 0.9–5.0 mm (0.035–0.197 in) wide on a petiole up to 1 mm (0.039 in) long. Both sides of the leaves are glabrous, the same shade of green and there are three more or less parallel veins on the lower surface. The flowers are erect, arranged in groups of four to seven in spikes 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long on the ends of branchlets and in upper leaf axils. The bracteoles are egg-shaped, about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The sepals are egg-shaped, 1.7–3.0 mm (0.067–0.118 in) long, and the petals white, 3.0–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long and joined at the base to form a tube, the petal lobes about the same length as the tube and densely bearded inside. Flowering occurs from July to December and the fruit is an oblong drupe about 2.3 mm (0.091 in) long.

Leucopogon virgatus var. virgatus grows in heath, woodland and forest on the coast and ranges up to an altitude of 600 m (2,000 ft) in south-eastern Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and is widespread throughout Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and Tasmania. Variety brevifolius grows in heath or heathy woodland in western Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and in forest and woodland in the Northern Midlands of Tasmania.