Exocarpos homalocladus, commonly known as the grass tree, is a flowering plant in the sandalwood family.[1] The specific epithet comes from the Greek (“flat”) and (“cladode”, a leaf-like stem, specialised for photosynthesis), with reference to the structure of the plant.[2]
It is a shrub or small tree growing to 4 m in height. The flat cladodes are 50–100 mm long, 1–2 mm wide. True leaves only occur on juvenile shoots; they are narrowly lanceolate, 50–80 mm long, 5–15 mm wide. The tiny yellow-green flowers occur in clusters from March to July. The fruits are red and fleshy, 8 mm long and seated on swollen red stalks that turn translucent pink when ripe.[1] [3]
The species is endemic to Australia’s subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, where it is fairly common and found from sea level to the summits of the mountains.[1] [3]