Ononis spinosa

Ononis spinosa, spiny restharrow, is a thorny subshrub native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, growing in dry grasslands, chalk downs, and disturbed ground on calcareous soils. It produces small pink pea-shaped flowers from late spring through summer and bears stiff spinose branches that form dense low mounds. The plant has traditional medicinal uses as a diuretic, and its root contains the flavonoid ononin.