Common Name: West Australian Sandalwood

General Information

West Australian sandalwood is an erect shrub or small tree with an open crown; it can grow 3 - 8 metres tall. It has a tough grey bark and stiff spreading branches[]. Its bole is 10 - 30cm in diameter[]. A root hemi-parasite, it obtains water and nutrients from host plants growing close by and does not grow well in the absence of a host[].
The tree is harvested, mainly from the wild, for its valuable wood, which is the source of an essential oil.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - Western Australia.

Habitat

Occurs in a wide range of forest types from woodland to low open-woodlands[]. Loamy soils and among rocks in woodland and tall shrubland[]. Red sandy soils, among rocks[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of drier, lowland areas in the tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 500 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 32 - 38°c, but can tolerate 7 - 45°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -4°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 200 - 400mm, but tolerates 150 - 500mm[].
Prefers a sunny position, but can tolerate some shade[]. Succeeds on a variety of soils from calcareous red earths to red earthy sands in Western Australia to solonized brown soils and shallow calcareous loamy soils in South Australia[]. Tolerates soil salinity[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[]. Requires a well drained soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The plant is partially parasitic and relies on host plants for only water and soil nutrients, not for sugars, which is why such it has green leaves and photosynthesizes[]. Sandalwood trees are a root parasite on many species[]. Some common recognized hosts are Eucalyptus salubris, Eucalyptus loxophleba, Casuarina cristata subsp. Pauper, Acacia aneura, Atriplex vesicaria, Pittosporum phillyreoides, Acacia acuminata, Senna siamea and Pongamia pinnata[]. It normally has more than one host at a time[].
Flowering is sporadic because of the irregular rainfall in most areas where the plant grows. Flowers are carrion-scented and nectariferous, attracting a wide range of insect pollinators[].
Plants do not usually survive fires in the wild[].
The estimated maturation time for the sandalwood in Kalgoorlie District, Australia is 50 - 100 years[].
Sandalwood is harvested by uprooting trees from the ground[]. The roots, stems and large branches are all utilized down to 2.5 cm diameter, dead sandalwood stems are also used[].

Edible Uses

The fruits and pods are gathered from the wild and eaten as food[].

Seed kernels of sandalwood may be eaten and have formed a valuable part of the traditional Aboriginal Australian diet[]. The kernels contain 45 - 55% oil, which is characterized by a high percentage of unusual acetylenic fatty acids[].

Medicinal

The essential oil obtained from the wood is used medicinally, particularly as a disinfectant for the urinary tract[].
The oil contains several medically active substances including fusanols, santalol and sesquiterpene alcohols[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The ground under the canopy of this tree is usually littered with seeds and leaves these on decay replenish soil nutrients[].
Because of its deep rooting habit, this tree could offer shade or support services yet compete minimally with other crop. However caution should be taken on account of its parasitic attributes[].

Other Uses

The seed contains 45 - 55% oil, comprising about 49% oleic acid and about 40% ximenynic acid[].

An essential oil, known as 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 wood is used in China as a temple incense[].

The heartwood is dark brown, and is surrounded by a pale coloured sapwood[]. It used to be extensively cut and exported as sandalwood. It can be used for wood carving, incense making and for the extraction of the essential oil[]. At present it is only harvested in small quantities[].
The wood is an excellent fuel and has been used for firing brick kilns[].

Propagation

Seed - mechanical scarification improves germination rates[]. In the wild, the seed germinates after extremes in temperature and rainfall[]. Field studies indicate that only 1 - 5% of the seeds germinate[]. The rate of germination is higher in reserves and protected research and plantation areas, but is still less than 20%[].
Establishment of the plant on an operational and plantation scale can be achieved by sowing 4 seeds per spot in well drained sites, 50 - 70 mm below the soil and mulching in a small depression at the drip line of the south side of a suitable host plant[].
The seedlings tend to die if their roots fail to attach to suitable hosts. The deaths therefore may be due to the inability to obtain some type of element for which the host is essential or the inability to take up sufficient nutrients to maintain growth[].

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