Exocarpos nanus
J.D. Hook.
Alpine native-cherry, Alpine Ballart
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit stalk
The swollen, bright red fruit stalk is edible.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows in alpine and subalpine regions. It usually grows in heathland but not above the tree line. Tasmania Herbarium.
Australia*, Tasmania*,
How to Identify
A spreading shrub. It grows up to 30 cm high. It can spread 1 m wide. There are many branches and these lie along the ground. The small branches are slender. They are green. The leaves are reduced to small scales. They occur in opposite pairs. The flowers are very small. They are yellowish-green but can have red colouring. They occur as 2-4 together in the axils of leaves. The fruit are 3 mm long. They are green to brown-red. They have a succulent stalk. This is 5 mm long and bright red.
How to Grow
Plants are not easy to propagate. The seed need to be sown fresh and possibly need a grass host.
Notes
There are about 26 Exocarpus species.
References (9)
- Codd, P., Payne, B. & Woolcock, C., 1998, The Plant Life of Kosciusko. Kangaroo Press. p 108
- Curtis, W.M., 1993, The Student's Flora of Tasmania. Part 3 St David's Park Publishing, Tasmania, p 627
- Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1992, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 4. Lothian. p 270
- 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 44
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Smith, K & I., 1999, Grow your own bushfoods. New Holland. Australia. p 29
- Tasmanian Herbarium Vascular Plants list p 53
- Whiting, J. et al, 2004, Tasmania's Natural Flora. Tasmania's Natural Flora Editorial Committee PO Box 194, Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia 7315 p 309
