Exocarpos sparteus is an Australian endemic

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 Broom Ballart or native cherry. The species is found in all states of mainland 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...

.

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

Robert Brown (botanist)

Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...

, in 1810, having collected the plants on his visit to King George Sound

King George Sound

King George Sound is the name of a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Located at , it is the site of the city of Albany.The sound covers an area of and varies in depth from to ....

 in 1802. One of the species' common names, Native Cherry, is given to another cogenor with an edible fruit, Exocarpos cupressiformis; both of these species are known as sorts of Ballart.

Ecology

The fruit of E. sparteus is eaten by Australian Ringneck

Australian Ringneck

The Australian Ringneck is a parrot native to Australia. Except for extreme tropical and highland areas, the species has adapted to all conditions...

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

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....

species eaten by people in Australia, especially prior to colonisation

Colonialism

Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...

.
The species is a hemi-parasite, gaining nutrients from other plant's roots, a process undertaken by many in the Santalaceae

Santalaceae

Santalaceae is a widely distributed family of flowering plants which, like other members of Santalales, are partially parasitic on other plants...

family.