Santalum album Fruit Krish.jpg

''Santalum'' is a genus of woody flowering plants in the Santalaceae family, the best known and commercially valuable of which is the Indian sandalwood tree, '' S. album''. Members of the genus are trees or shrubs. Most are root parasites which photosynthesize their own food, but tap the roots of other species for water and inorganic nutrients. Several species, most notably ''S. album'', produce highly aromatic wood, used for scents and perfumes and for herbal medicine. About 25 known species range across the Indomalayan, Australasian, and Oceanian realms, from India through Malesia to the Pacific Islands, as far as Hawaii, Hawaii and the Juan Fernández Islands off the coast of South America.

Indian sandalwood (''S. album'') is found in the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, tropical dry deciduous forests of India, the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, and Arnhem Land of northern Australia. It is the only species of the genus found on the Asian mainland, and may have been introduced to India from the Lesser Sundas centuries ago. Indian sandalwood has been stripped from most of India's forests, and is now rare in the wild. Five species, including ''S. album'', are native to Australia. ''Santalum acuminatum, S. acuminatum'', known as the sweet quandong or native peach, produces a shiny bright red fruit used increasingly in Australia for jams, jellies, chutneys, and pies. Four species, commonly called ''iliahi'', are Endemism, endemic to Hawaii. ''Santalum fernandezianum, S. fernandezianum'', endemic to the Juan Fernández Islands off the coast of Chile, was also overexploited for its aromatic wood, and may now be Extinction, extinct.

''Santalum'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including ''Endoclita, Endoclita malabaricus''.

Cultivation

The initial challenges to cultivating ''Santalum'' are numerous, not only due to its germination and growth needs, but also the amount of growing time required for the tree to properly mature. Germination of ''Santalum'' seeds is not completely understood. Seeds cannot be effectively stored, and must be planted upon harvesting them from a fruiting tree. Even in doing this, the seeds may not germinate. As such, growing saplings can be quite labour-intensive.

Furthermore, although ''Santalum'' trees photosynthesis, photosynthesize on their own, the trees are hemiparasitic, with roots that seek out and tap the root systems of surrounding trees for water and nutrients. As such, each sapling is usually grown next to four or five host trees. Pruning of host trees is also needed at times, since ''Santalum'' trees require much sunlight for growth.

To produce commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance oils, the trees have to be at least 40 years of age, but 80 or above is preferred. As such, those who begin cultivation of ''Santalum'' likely will not live to reap the rewards of their work. However, inferior sandalwood that has been cut or toppled at 30 years old can still fetch a decent price due to the demand for real sandalwood.

Beyond these initial difficulties, growing sandalwood is not difficult, since it becomes more resistant to environmental stresses, pests, and diseases as it matures.

Species

* ''Santalum acuminatum, S. acuminatum'' Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle, A.DC. — desert quandong, sweet quandong, native peach (Australia)
* '' S. album'' Carl Linnaeus, L. — Indian sandalwood, white sandalwood, ''chandana'' (India, Indonesia, northern Australia)
* ''Santalum austrocaledonicum, S. austrocaledonicum'' Eugène Vieillard, Vieill. (New Caledonia, Vanuatu)
* ''Santalum boninense, S. boninense'' (Nakai) Tuyama (Bonin Islands, Japan)
* ''Santalum ellipticum, S. ellipticum'' Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré, Gaudich. — ''iliahialoe'', coast sandalwood (Hawaii, Hawaii)
* ''Santalum fernandezianum, S. fernandezianum'' Rodolfo Armando Philippi, Phil. (Juan Fernández Islands)
* ''Santalum freycinetianum, S. freycinetianum'' Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré, Gaudich. — ''iliahi'' (Hawaii)
* ''Santalum haleakalae, S. haleakalae'' William Hillebrand, Hillebr. — ''iliahi'' (Hawaii)
* ''Santalum lanceolatum, S. lanceolatum'' Robert Brown (Scottish botanist from Montrose), R.Br. — northern sandalwood (Australia)
* ''Santalum macgregorii, S. macgregorii'' F.Muell (Papua New Guinea, Indonesia)
* ''Santalum murrayanum, S. murrayanum'' Charles Austin Gardner, C.A.Gardner — bitter quandong (Australia)
* ''Santalum obtusifolium, S. obtusifolium'' (Australia)
* ''Santalum paniculatum, S. paniculatum'' William Jackson Hooker, Hook. & George Arnott Walker-Arnott, Arn. — ''iliahi'' (Hawaii)
* ''Santalum salicifolium, S. salicifolium'' — willowleaf sandalwood
* ''Santalum spicatum, S. spicatum'' (R.Br.) Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle, A.DC. — Australian sandalwood (Australia)
* ''Santalum yasi, S. yasi'' Berthold Carl Seemann, Seem. - ''yasi'' (Fiji, Niue) Tonga- ''Ahi''

References

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External links

Australian Quandong Industry Association




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{{Taxonbar, from=Q339027

Santalum,
Santalales genera