Prickly Currant-Bush
Coprosma quadrifida
The small, orange-red berries are edible and were historically used by Indigenous Australians as a food source, tasting slightly sweet.
- Scientific name
- Coprosma quadrifida
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Gentianales › Rubiaceae › Coprosma
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Wet sclerophyll forests, temperate rainforest margins, and damp gullies.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, absorbing water and nutrients from soil).
- Range
- Victoria, Australia, Tasmania, Australia, New South Wales, Australia
- Size
- Up to 2-4 meters in height
- Lifespan
- 10-30 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Land clearing, invasive weeds (like blackberry), and overgrazing by introduced herbivores.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless, but its spine-tipped branches can cause minor scratches. Maintain a safe distance of a few inches to avoid pricks. If scratched, wash the area with clean water and mild soap to prevent infection.
Coprosma quadrifida is a shrub of the Rubiaceae family native to southeastern Australia. First described as Canthium quadrifidum by Labillardiere, it was given its current name by B. L. Robinson in 1910.
Photo: Rolf Lawrenz, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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