Lotus australis, known by its common name of austral trefoil, is a small, spreading herb from the family Fabaceae.

[1] Leaves are of a trifoliate shape and are small, with a light green colour.

During spring, the plant bursts into beautiful massed displays of white pea flowers.

In summer, these are replaced with stiff, tubular beans, which explode when they dry, releasing multiple small, black legume seeds.

[2] Lotus australis is one of just a few plants in which the cyanogenic glucoside known as lotaustralin naturally occurs.