Exocarpus cupressiformis
| Exocarpus cupressiformis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 13' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Exocarpus cupressiformis (common name: native cherry)
Propagation: Seed - we have no information on this species but would recommend sowing it in spring in a warm greenhouse in a pot that contains a suitable host.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in this country. It is likely to require a light well-drained soil and a sunny sheltered position. It is a root parasite, we do not know which species it parasitizes.
Plants spread by means of underground suckers, often forming clumps of seemingly disparate trees and shrubs[1].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat: Sandy soils on dry hillsides[2]. In eucalyptus forests to the montane zone[3].
Edibility: Fruit stalk - sweet and palatable when fully ripe, astringent otherwise[4][2][1]. It is eaten raw or made into preserves[5]. Rather small, it is about 4 - 6mm long[1].
Medicinal: Astringent, bitter tonic.
Usage: The bark contains up to 15% tannin[2].
Wood - hard, tough, close-grained. Used for turnery, furniture etc[6][2].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: One report says that the foliage might be poisonous[2].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ Lassak, Erich and Tara McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.