Exocarpus cupressiformis
Encyclopedia
Exocarpos cupressiformis, is an Australian endemic
plant species commonly known as the native cherry or cherry ballart. The species is found in sclerophyll
forest on the east coast of Australia
. It is also commonly found in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia.
It is a small tree (or large shrub), hemiparasitic on the roots of other trees. It most commonly parasitizes Eucalyptus plants. The leaves are reduced to small scales and the stems are the site of photosynthesis. It superficially resembles the cypress
. Its flowers are arranged in clusters on short spikes; the fruit is a globular nut on a short stalk. As it ripens the stalk swells and turns red, like an inside out cherry. The fruit is 4-6 mm long and is edible.
The seed is found on the outside of the fruit, hence the name exocarpus, from the Latin meaning outer.
The wood is very fine-grained with little figure but often striking colour variation and was historically used for making furniture, gun-stocks, and tool handles.
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
plant species commonly known as the native cherry or cherry ballart. The species is found in sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forest on the east coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is also commonly found in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia.
It is a small tree (or large shrub), hemiparasitic on the roots of other trees. It most commonly parasitizes Eucalyptus plants. The leaves are reduced to small scales and the stems are the site of photosynthesis. It superficially resembles the cypress
Cupressus
The genus Cupressus is one of several genera within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others, see cypress. It is considered a polyphyletic group...
. Its flowers are arranged in clusters on short spikes; the fruit is a globular nut on a short stalk. As it ripens the stalk swells and turns red, like an inside out cherry. The fruit is 4-6 mm long and is edible.
The seed is found on the outside of the fruit, hence the name exocarpus, from the Latin meaning outer.
The wood is very fine-grained with little figure but often striking colour variation and was historically used for making furniture, gun-stocks, and tool handles.