Exocarpos cupressiformis

Family Santalaceae

Cherry Ballart, Native Cherry

Shrub to small tree to 8 m high, with cypress-like appearance, branchlets often drooping and graceful; leaves very small, scale-like on new growth. Hemi-parasite upon roots of other plants, commonly eucalypts but also other species.

Flowers: Very small pale yellow, in short spikes or clusters seen during November.

Fruit: Succulent, roundish fruit 4–6 mm long with one seed, resting on a red, edible, succulent pedicel.

Seed: Hard seed is difficult to germinate. Mature August–January.

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

• Woodland habitat.
• Resprouts after fire with numerous suckers from lateral roots and from rootstock.
• Occasional in woodland at the Australian Botanic Garden
• Berries eaten by Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae.