Exocarpos humifusus

Exocarpos humifusus, also known as mountain native-cherry, is a small shrub member of the family Santalaceae, all of which are hemiparasites. Exocarpos humifusus is a dwarfish and sprawling shrub with woody stems, and small dry fruits that grow atop a fleshy red stalk, hence the common name of native-cherry.

Description

A small spreading shrub. It grows 30 cm high and spreads 0.5-1.5 m wide. There are many branches. They are rigid and ribbed. The leaves are reduced to small triangle shaped scales. The flowers are very small. They are reddish-yellow. There are 2-6 flowers in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are about 4 mm across. They are red but mature to black. The stalk is succulent and dark red.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows on mountain plateaux and mountain tops. In Tasmania it grows above 1300 m altitude. It often grows amongst rocks. It grows attached to other plants. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Australia*, Tasmania*,

Cultivation

This plant is hard to propogate.

Notes

There are about 26 Exocarpus species.

References (6)

• Curtis, W.M., 1993, The Student's Flora of Tasmania. Part 3 St David's Park Publishing, Tasmania, p 628
• Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1992, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 4. Lothian. p 269
• Kirkpatrick, J., 1997, Alpine Tasmania, An Illustrated guide to the flora and vegetation. Oxford, p 56
• Low, T., 1992, Bush Tucker. Australia’s Wild Food Harvest. Angus & Robertson. p 50
• Tasmanian Herbarium Vascular Plants list p 53

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