Santalum spicatum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Santalum spicatum (R. Br.) A. DC.

Family: Santalaceae

Synonyms

Eucarya spicata (R. Br.) Sprague & Summerh., Santalum cygnorum Miquel, S. diversifolium (Miquel) A. DC.

Vernacular names

• West Australian sandalwood (En).

Distribution

Australia (south-western and southern).

Uses

S. spicatum used to be extensively cut and exported as sandalwood (e.g. for wood carving, incense making and for the oil). At present it is only harvested in small quantities. West Australian sandalwood oil can be obtained by water or steam distillation of the wood. This is a pale yellow viscous liquid with a soft woody, somewhat balsamic sweetness; its top note is rather dry-bitter and slightly resinous; its main constituent is santalol. The oil is valuable in perfumery just like East Indian sandalwood oil. The oil is also used medicinally, particularly as a disinfectant for the urinary tract.

Observations

Semi-root-parasitic shrub, up to 4 m tall with tough grey bark and stiff spreading branches. Leaves opposite; petiole 3-5 mm long; blade lanceolate to narrowly elliptical, 2-7 cm × 3-15 mm, grey-green. Inflorescence a many-flowered panicle; peduncle 3-5 mm long, pedicel 1 mm long; receptacle 1-1.5 mm long; tepals 4, triangular-ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, red-green, with small tufts of hairs at base inside, persistent in fruit; disk shortly lobed; style 0.5 mm long, stigma bilobed. Fruit a globose drupe, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, green or brown; mesocarp firm, adhering to endocarp. S. spicatum occurs in loamy soils and among rocks in woodland and tall shrubland. Possibly of interest for introduction in South-East Asia because of its valuable wood and essential oil. S. acuminatum (R. Br.) A. DC. (synonym: Eucarya acuminata (R. Br.) Sprague & Summerh.), occurring in southern Australia, might be of interest as well; besides sandalwood it also produces an edible fruit, the quandong. In Fiji, Santalum yasi Seem. used to be a valuable source of sandalwood, but few trees now remain.

Selected sources

1, 5, 9, 11, 43.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen