Sandalwood (Santalum album) Leaves,flowers and fruits.

Sandalwood - Santalum album

Santalum album is a small tropical tree, and the traditional source of sandalwood oil. It is native to Indonesia (Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands), the Philippines, and Western Australia. It is commonly known as the true sandalwood, white sandalwood, or Indian sandalwood. It was one of the plants exploited by Austronesian arboriculture and it was introduced by Austronesian sailors to East Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia during the ancient spice trade, becoming naturalized in South India by at least 1300 BCE. It was greatly valued for its fragrance, and is considered sacred in some religions like Hinduism. The high value of the species has caused over-exploitation, to the point where the wild population is vulnerable to extinction. Indian sandalwood still commands high prices for its essential oil owing to its high alpha santalol content, but the lack of sizable trees has essentially eliminated its former use for fine woodworking. The plant is long-lived, but harvest is only viable after many years.

Santalum album is an evergreen tree that grows between 4–9 metres (13–30 feet). The bole can have a diameter of around 20cm. The tree is variable in habit, usually upright to sprawling, and may intertwine with other species. A semi-parasitic plant, it depends on the presence of certain other tree species, especially nitrogen-fixing species, in order to obtain part of its nutrition. The plant parasitises the roots of other tree species, with a haustorium adaptation on its own roots, but without major detriment to its hosts. An individual will form a non-obligate relationship with a number of other plants. Up to 300 species (including its own) can host the tree's development - supplying macronutrients phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, and shade - especially during early phases of development. It may propagate itself through wood suckering during its early development, establishing small stands. The reddish or brown bark can be almost black and is smooth in young trees, becoming cracked with a red reveal. The heartwood is pale green to white as the common name indicates. The leaves are thin, opposite and ovate to lanceolate in shape. Glabrous surface is shiny and bright green, with a glaucous pale reverse. Fruit is produced after three years, viable seeds after five. These seeds are distributed by birds.

The plant is harvested in large quantities from the wild, mainly for use of its scented wood and as a medicine. It has a very long history of use, being highly valued for its sweet fragrance and used as a medicine, perfume and incense in the East for at least 4,000 years. The plant has special significance in Hindu devotional practices, but is also commonly used by Buddhists, Muslims and many other people. The tree has many other uses and is often cultivated in parts of tropical Asia and Australia for its essential oil, which is used in perfumery, as a food flavouring etc.

Fire, grazing and most importantly exploitation of the wood for fine furniture and carving and also oil are threatening the species. Smuggling has assumed alarming proportions. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011).

S. album has been the primary source of sandalwood and the derived oil. These often hold an important place in the societies of their naturalised distribution range. The central part of the tree, the heartwood, is the only part of the tree that is used for its fragrance. It is yellow-brown in color, hard with an oily texture and due to its durability, is a preferred material for carving. The outer part of the tree, the sapwood, is unscented. The sapwood is white or yellow in color and is used to make turnery items. The high value of sandalwood has led to attempts at cultivation, this has increased the distribution range of the plant. It was valued in construction, since it was considered rotproof.

The first extraction of its essential oil occurred in Mysore, India in 1917. For many years, the oils were extracted in the perfumeries at Grasse, France. Production is now controlled by the Indian state, and demand exceeds supply.

Edible Uses. The bark is sometimes chewed as an alternative to betel nuts (Areca catechu). An essential oil is obtained from the roots and heartwood. It is used commercially as a flavouring in a range of foods including chewing gum, ice cream and bakery products. Fruits are edible. The fruit is a globose, fleshy drupe; red, purple to black when ripe, about 1cm in diameter.

Medicinal. Sandalwood contains 3 - 6% essential oils (predominantly the sesquiterpenols alpha- and beta-santalol), resin and tannins. It is an aromatic, bittersweet, astringent herb that cools the body, calms the mind, relieves spasms and improves digestion. It has diuretic, analgesic, antiseptic, expectorant and stimulant effects. The wood or essential oil is taken internally in the treatment of genito-urinary disorders, fever, sunstroke, digestive problems and abdominal pain. A paste of the wood is used externally to treat skin complaints. Sandalwood oil is little used in modern herbalism, its main application is in aromatherapy.

Sandalwood oil, steam distilled from the heartwood, roots, branches etc is an indispensable aromatic material in perfumery, where its outstanding fixative properties and excellent tenacity, blending ability and highly attractive fragrance have made it a basic component of countless perfumes, cosmetics and toiletries. It blends well with other essential oils such as patchouli, vetiver, geranium and musk. It is also used in soap making and medicines. All parts of the plant contain these essential oils - which comprise at least 90% sesquiterpene alcohols. The roots contain the greatest quantity of oil, with around 6 - 10%, and hence are more valuable; the heartwood yields 4 - 8%; the leaves about 4%; the branches 2 - 4%; and the bark around 2%.

An essential oil is also obtained by acid hydrolysis of distilled sandalwood chips and sawdust. This oil differs in scent and appearance from true sandalwood oil. Powder from the heartwood, mixed with gum arabic and saltpetre and often with other aromatic materials, is used to make incense sticks. It is also burnt as perfumes in houses and temples, or is ground into a paste and used as a cosmetic. It is put in sachets and placed in linen cupboards etc for scenting clothes. Finely ground sandalwood, mixed with water, is rubbed on the body for its cooling effect.

The wood, which weighs 870 kg/cubic m, is heavy, hard, durable and strong, but difficult to split. It is not attacked by termites. Odourless when freshly cut, it becomes strongly aromatic as it seasons. Its close grained heartwood is much used for ornamental and carving work. Formerly, in China the most expensive coffins were made of sandalwood, while in India it was the preferred wood for funeral pyres. Even today it is customary to add at least a single piece of sandalwood. When supplies became scarce, sandalwood from Australian Santalum species was used for such purposes. Larger pieces of heartwood are now mostly used for wood sculptures and carvings. The wood has been used as a fuel but is generally considered too valuable for this purpose. It is traditionally burnt at Buddhist funerals and is also ground into a powder to make the paste used in Hindu caste marks.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santalum_album
https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Santalum+album