SANDALWOOD

Santalum sp. (Santalaceae)
Location: India

The only information on the label for this specimen is ‘Santalum
sp.’; there are no collection details to aid identification to species
level. It may be Santalum album, commonly known as aromatic
sandalwood. This semiparasitic tree grows to 8 m (26 ft) in
height and is famed for its fragrant timber. Its fruit is a singleseeded drupe with an attractively pitted woody inner wall. This
specimen retains much of its outer coat, but it is shriveled from
drying. In the living plant, this part of the fruit is fleshy and dark
purple, presumably to attract birds for seed dispersal. The wood
is used for fine carving, incense production, and the extraction
of fragrant oil.