''Exocarpos sparteus'' is an Australian

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

plant species, commonly known as the broom ballart, slender cherry, or native cherry. The species is found in all states of mainland Australia.

Description

A shrub, four metres tall, erect, with drooping branchlets, almost leafless. The species bears flowering branchlets, which may have small, greenish-yellow, and stalkless leaves. The flowers are just 1 mm across and of a similar colour, occasionally white. The fruit of this species is egg-shaped, pink or red, and between 4 and 5 mm long. The habit of this plant is upright, becoming slightly curved, combining with the many regular branches to form a rounded aspect. The smooth and spherical appearance of the species is given by the droop of the branchlets, the similar colour and size of the leaves and flowers, and upcurving of the outward branches.

Naming

The specific name is derived from the Latin word ''esparto'', referring to a kind of Spanish grass that was used for its fibre. It was first described by Robert Brown, in 1810, having collected the plants on his visit to

King George Sound King George Sound ( nys , Menang Koort) is a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Named King George the Third's Sound in 1791, it was referred to as King George's Sound from 1805. The name "King George Sound" gradually came into use ...

in 1802. One of the species' common names, native cherry, is given to another congener with an edible fruit, ''

Exocarpos cupressiformis ''Exocarpos cupressiformis'', with common names that include native cherry, cherry ballart, and cypress cherry, belongs to the sandalwood family of plants. It is a species endemic to Australia. Occasionally the genus name is spelt "Exocarpus" but ...

''; both of these species are known as sorts of Ballart. The

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...

peoples know the plant as ''Chukk'', ''Dtulya'' or ''Merrin''.

Ecology

The fruit of ''E. sparteus'' is eaten by

Australian ringneck The Australian ringneck (''Barnardius zonarius'') is a parrot native to Australia. Except for extreme tropical and highland areas, the species has adapted to all conditions. Treatments of genus ''Barnardius'' have previously recognised two s ...

s (''Barnardius zonarius'') and, presumably, other birds. It is also thought to be the ''

Exocarpos ''Exocarpos'' is a genus of flowering shrubs and small trees in the sandalwood family, Santalaceae. They are found throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. They are semi-parasitic, requiring the roots of a host tree, a t ...

'' species eaten by people in Australia, especially prior to

colonisation Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

. The species is a hemi-

parasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted structurally to this way of lif ...

, gaining nutrients from other plant's roots, a process undertaken by many in the ''

Santalaceae The Santalaceae, sandalwoods, are a widely distributed family of flowering plants (including small trees, shrubs, perennial herbs, and epiphytic climbersHewson & George t al.br>''Santalaceae'' taxonomy, 1984, pp. 191-194.) which, like other memb ...

'' family.

References

* *''Australian Encyclopaedia'' Volume 2, p 175, Angus and Robertson Limited, 1926 * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5420499 sparteus Eudicots of Western Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of South Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (state)