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Introduction
Exocarpos hemifusus, also known as “Mountain native-cherry,” is a small shrub member of the family Santalaceae, all of which are hemiparasites.E. Hemifusus is a dwarfish and sprawling shrub with woody stems, and small dry fruits that grow atop a fleshy red stalk, hence the common name of native-cherry.

Description
E. Hemifusus is a rigid, woody dwarf shrub with branches prostate and spreading over the ground and rocks (2). The stems are dark yellow-green tinged with red, and are ribbed with rounded edges (2). The leaves are triangular and scale shaped, about 0.5mm long, arranged alternately along the stem (2,3). The flowers are generally 4 parted, approximately 2.5mm in diameter and grow in bunches of 2-3 on a short stalk at the end of a stem (2). The fruit is a small greenish-black drupe or nut 3 - 4mm in length,that grows atop a fleshy receptacle (2,5). When mature the receptacle of the fruit is dark red fleshy, juicy amd edible, attracting animals as distributors (2).

Habitat and Distribution
E. Hemifusus is endemic to Tasmania. It grows abundantly above 1300m, in sub-alpine and alpine areas. It is found growing over the surfaces of rocks on mountain plateaus and summits throughout Tasmania (1). It widespread among the the plant communities of alpine heath and fjaeldmark(4).