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Leptomeria acida
Leptomeria acida, known as acid drops or sour currant-bush, is an apparently leafless parasitic shrub, found on the coast and ranges in eastern Australia. The habitat is dry eucalyptus woodland, often in sheltered sites. This plant is a root parasite. Branchlets are stiff, angular and spreading. Red flowers form in summer on racemes, 15 to 20 mm long. The fruit is a green or reddish drupe, sometimes tinged with purple. Leaves are tiny, 1 to 2 mm long, though barely noticeable.
The fruits contains vitamin C, and were eaten by Indigenous Australians. They may be used today to make jelly. The specific epithet acida refers to the pleasant acid taste of the fruit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Leptomeria acida by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
