Santalum lanceolatum
Encyclopedia
Santalum lanceolatum is an Australia
n tree of the family Santalaceae
. It is commonly known as Desert Quandong, Northern Sandalwood, Sandalwood or True Sandalwood and in some restricted areas as Burdardu. The height of this plant is variable, from 1 to 7 metres. The flowers are green, white, and cream; appearing between January and October.
, northwards through New South Wales
to North Queensland
, westwards across The Northern Territory and into North Western Western Australia
. It is a plant primarily of arid and semi-arid inland areas although its distribution reaches the coast in both Central Queensland
and The Kimberley. The tree is becoming increasingly rare across much of its desert range due to destructive browsing by feral camels.
clade
, and S. lanceolatum exhibits the parasitic mistletoe lifeform, existing as hemi-parasites which obtain some of their water and mineral nutrient requirements from the roots of other plants.
The species has a distribution throughout central Australia, becoming scattered or unusual in more southern regions.
It was described by Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae (1810).
Large populations of Santalum lanceolatum are recorded at Gregory Gorge, which is located at the Fortescue River
. As with the related taxa, in the genus Santalum
, the products of this tree have been used in a variety of ways. By processing the nut, the oil of the kernel can be utilised as a hair tonic. The antibacterial qualities of its roots, is prepared as a paste and used as a topical
cream. The leaves are also used to repel insects, by burning them.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n tree of the family Santalaceae
Santalaceae
Santalaceae is a widely distributed family of flowering plants which, like other members of Santalales, are partially parasitic on other plants...
. It is commonly known as Desert Quandong, Northern Sandalwood, Sandalwood or True Sandalwood and in some restricted areas as Burdardu. The height of this plant is variable, from 1 to 7 metres. The flowers are green, white, and cream; appearing between January and October.
Distribution
The native range of the plant extends from north-western VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, northwards through New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to North Queensland
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than most countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and...
, westwards across The Northern Territory and into North Western Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is a plant primarily of arid and semi-arid inland areas although its distribution reaches the coast in both Central Queensland
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
and The Kimberley. The tree is becoming increasingly rare across much of its desert range due to destructive browsing by feral camels.
Characteristics
The family Santalacea falls within the mistletoeMistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
, and S. lanceolatum exhibits the parasitic mistletoe lifeform, existing as hemi-parasites which obtain some of their water and mineral nutrient requirements from the roots of other plants.
Medicinal uses
The plant is used by the people of the northwest for medicinal purposes, and is placed within the 'Burndad song cycle' of those countries.The species has a distribution throughout central Australia, becoming scattered or unusual in more southern regions.
It was described by Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae (1810).
Large populations of Santalum lanceolatum are recorded at Gregory Gorge, which is located at the Fortescue River
Fortescue River
The Fortescue River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the third longest river in the state.The river rises near Deadman Hill in the Ophthalmia Range about 30 km South of Newman. The river flows in a Northerly direction parallel with the Great Northern...
. As with the related taxa, in the genus Santalum
Santalum
Santalum is a genus of woody flowering plants, 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...
, the products of this tree have been used in a variety of ways. By processing the nut, the oil of the kernel can be utilised as a hair tonic. The antibacterial qualities of its roots, is prepared as a paste and used as a topical
Topical
In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...
cream. The leaves are also used to repel insects, by burning them.