Santalum spicatum

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Santalum spicatum
Sandalwood in Primer of Forestry Poole 1922.png
A mature tree, circa 1920
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Santalaceae
Genus: Santalum
Species:
S. spicatum
Binomial name
Santalum spicatum

Santalum spicatum, the Australian sandalwood, also Waang and other names (Noongar) and Dutjahn (Martu), is a tree native to semi-arid areas at the edge of Southwest Australia, in the state of Western Australia. It is also found in South Australia, where it is protected and listed as a vulnerable species. It is traded as sandalwood, and its sandalwood oil has been used as an aromatic and a food source over history. S. spicatum is one of four Santalum species occurring in Australia.

Contents

History

S. spicatum has been used sustainably as a source of bush food and medicine for thousands of years by Aboriginal Australians, who also use it in smoking ceremonies. [2] Soon after the arrival of Europeans in Western Australia, colonists began harvesting sandalwood trees to export overseas for incense production. This decimated sandalwood populations in the south west agricultural zone, and pushed harvesting out into the arid and semi-arid interior. Millions of trees have been exported since the 1840s, [3] pushing the species towards extinction in the wild. [4]

Taxonomy

The Noongar peoples know the plant as uilarac, waang, wolgol, or wollgat, [5] while the Martu people of the Gibson Desert call it dutjahn. [6]

Description

It is one of four species of the family Santalaceae to occur in Western Australia, and is native to semi-arid [7] areas in the Southwest. It has a similar distribution to quandong ( Santalum acuminatum ) and is a hemi-parasite requiring macronutrients from the roots of hosts. It has a shrubby to small tree habit, but can grow to 6 metres (20 ft) and is tolerant of drought and salt. The foliage is grey-green in colour. The fruit of S. spicatum is spherical, about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter, and orange in colour. An edible kernel with a hard shell forms the bulk of the fruit; the shell is smoother than S. acuminatum's deeply pitted surface. Germination occurs during warm and moist conditions. [8]

Distribution

Once found across the southwest of Australia, at the Swan Coastal Plain and inland regions of low rainfall, the impact of over-harvesting and land-clearing for wheat and sheep since the 1880s has greatly reduced the range and population of the species. [9]

The marsupial species Bettongia penicillata , known as the woylie, is known to consume and cache the seeds of this species, and is thought to have played a significant role in its dispersal before their decline in the twentieth century. [10]

Commercial use

A sandalwood cutters' camp in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia Sandalwood harvest.jpg
A sandalwood cutters' camp in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia
Exported from Fremantle Harbour, 1905 Sandalwood export 1905.jpg
Exported from Fremantle Harbour, 1905

The harvest and export of S. spicatum has been an important part of the Western Australian economy, at one time forming more than half of the state's revenue. Settlement of the Wheatbelt area was accelerated by the funds generated by sandalwood found there. Distribution and population of the endemic stands were significantly affected during periods of rural development and economic downturn. The state conservator of forests, Charles Lane-Poole, reported in the 1920s that the export value of the 331205 tons shipped from 1845 to date was £3,061,661; the primary use when imported to China was the manufacture of incense. However, Poole also notes the development of an oil extraction industry and use as an effective medical product. [9]

A much smaller, but economically significant, source was in the Quorn region of South Australia, reported in 1928. [11]

Research by the Forestry Products Commission (WA), state universities and private industry was undertaken into the cultivation of the tree and the properties of its wood and nuts. [12] [13] Replanting has occurred at some properties as a land restoration strategy, a food crop and in the long term for harvest. Oil valued at A$1,000 per 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) is produced at Mount Romance in Albany, Western Australia. [14]

The area of commercial plantations rose from 7-square-kilometre (2.7 sq mi) to 70-square-kilometre (27 sq mi) between 2000 and 2006. The export of 2 000 tonnes of sandalwood a year is primarily sourced from wild stands of the remote rangelands and Goldfields region of Western Australia. The harvest of naturally occurring trees is reduced when compared to the industry of the 19th century. Exports of over 50 000 tonnes in the last decade were related to agricultural expansion by increased access and harvesters. [15]

According to the research and development corporation AgriFutures Australia in 2020, the WA sandalwood industry provides about 40 per cent of the international sandalwood oil market. [16]

Since 2015, [17] for the first time Aboriginal Australians have been involved in the production of the oil. The Dutjahn custodians, representing the wider Martu community, who are connected to the land in the Gibson Desert where sandalwood is harvested, co-manage the company along with Kutkabbuba Aboriginal Corporation and the founders of WA Sandalwood Plantations. The harvesters stay at the tiny outstation of Mungilli, built in the early 1980s by Muntiljarra people. The company has a distillery in Kalgoorlie and markets the oil to some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Estee Lauder. [6] The Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils company is 50 per cent owned by Indigenous Australians. [2]

Cultivation

Germination is difficult, and may depend on the El Niño cycle. Success has been reported by placing the kernels in moist vermiculite in sealed plastic bags at room temperature. Once germinated, seeds should be planted next to a (preferably Australian native) seedling, and watered adequately.

The main host species is Acacia acuminata , which is used in plantations, which sustains a 15- to 30-year, long-term host species in loamy sands over clay duplex soils. Rock sheaok Allocasuarina huegeliana , wodjil Acacia resinimarginea , and mulga Acacia aneura are also used. [18]

Composition of oils

The oils produced by the tree contain a great complexity of chemicals, many of which have antimicrobial qualities, [19] and contains ximenynic acid. [20]

Conservation status

Scientists have warned for many years about the decline and over-harvesting of Australian sandalwood in the wild in Western Australia, [21] with present harvesting and management under the WA Forest Products Commission allowing 2,500 tonnes to be harvested annually. Recent research has shown that wild populations have decreased dramatically, with no regeneration over the past 80 to 100 years, and most current plants 100 to 200 years old. [22] This is partly because the current level of harvesting is too high (a government scientist has suggested it should be around 200 tonnes), [21] and partly because of the impact of a number of over-lapping threats such as land clearing; fire; grazing by livestock (sheep and cattle), feral goats and camels, and native herbivores; loss of natural seed dispersers (Boodies and Woylies); and climate change, especially increasing drought and associated poor rainfall in the Goldfields and the Great Western Woodlands regions. [2]

Despite being protected and listed as a Vulnerable threatened species on the IUCN Red List., [23] it is still being unsustainably harvested from the wild. It is listed as a vulnerable threatened species in South Australia, and there are calls to do the same at the National level and in WA. [2] It is currently being assessed as a Threatened Species by the Australian Government.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandalwood</span> Class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum

Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries. Consequently, some species of these slow-growing trees have suffered over-harvesting in the past.

<i>Acacia aneura</i> Species of shrub or small tree

Acacia aneura, commonly known as mulga or true mulga, is a shrub or small tree native to arid outback areas of Australia. It is the dominant tree in the habitat to which it gives its name (mulga) that occurs across much of inland Australia. Specific regions have been designated the Western Australian mulga shrublands in Western Australia and Mulga Lands in Queensland.

<i>Santalum</i> Genus of flowering plant in the mistletoe family Santalaceae

Santalum is a genus of woody flowering plants in the Santalaceae family, 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 inorganic nutrients. Several species, most notably S. album, produce highly aromatic wood, used for scents and perfumes and for herbal medicine. About 25 known species range across the Indomalayan, Australasian, and Oceanian realms, from India through Malesia to the Pacific Islands, as far as Hawaiʻi and the Juan Fernández Islands off the coast of South America.

<i>Santalum acuminatum</i> Species of plant

Santalum acuminatum, the desert quandong, is a hemiparasitic plant in the sandalwood family, Santalaceae, which is widely dispersed throughout the central deserts and southern areas of Australia. The species, especially its edible fruit, is also commonly referred to as quandong or native peach. The use of the fruit as an exotic flavouring, one of the best known bush tucker, has led to the attempted domestication of the species.

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<i>Acacia acuminata</i> Species of legume

Acacia acuminata, known as mangart and jam, is a tree in the family Fabaceae. Endemic to Western Australia, it occurs throughout the south west of the State. It is common in the Wheatbelt, and also extends into the semi-arid interior.

<i>Eucalyptus gomphocephala</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus gomphocephala, known as tuart, is a species of tree, one of the six forest giants of Southwest Australia. Tuart forest was common on the Swan coastal plain, until the valuable trees were felled for export and displaced by the urban development around Perth, Western Australia. The wood is dense, hard, water resistant and resists splintering, and found many uses when it was available. Remnants of tuart forest occur in state reserves and parks, the tree has occasionally been introduced to other regions of Australia and overseas. Remaining trees are vulnerable to phytophthora dieback, an often fatal disorder, including a previously unknown species discovered during analysis of dead specimens.

<i>Santalum album</i> Species of tree in Sandalwood family

Santalum album, or Indian sandalwood, is a small tropical tree, and the traditional source of sandalwood oil. It is native to southern India and Southeast Asia. It is considered sacred in some religions like Hinduism, and some cultures place great significance on its fragrant qualities. However, 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 due to lack of sizable trees it is no longer used for fine woodworking as before. The plant is long-lived, but harvest is only viable after many years.

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<i>Santalum haleakalae</i> Species of tree

Santalum haleakalae, known as Haleakala sandalwood or ʻIliahi in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering tree in the sandalwood family, that is endemic to the islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands, part of the United States. It grows in subalpine shrublands at elevations of 1,900 to 2,700 m, especially on the slopes of Haleakalā.

<i>Santalum lanceolatum</i> Species of tree

Santalum lanceolatum is an Australian tree of the family Santalaceae. It is commonly known as desert quandong, northern sandalwood, sandalwood, or true sandalwood and in some areas as burdardu. The mature height of this plant is variable, from 1 to 7 m. The flowers are green, white, and cream, appearing between January and October. The species has a distribution throughout central Australia, becoming scattered or unusual in more southern regions.

<i>Santalum murrayanum</i> Species of plant

Santalum murrayanum, commonly known as the bitter quandong, is an Australian plant in the sandalwood family, Santalaceae. The Noongar name for the plant is coolyar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of Australia</span> Plant species of Australia

The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 21,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens. The flora has strong affinities with the flora of Gondwana, and below the family level has a highly endemic angiosperm flora whose diversity was shaped by the effects of continental drift and climate change since the Cretaceous. Prominent features of the Australian flora are adaptations to aridity and fire which include scleromorphy and serotiny. These adaptations are common in species from the large and well-known families Proteaceae (Banksia), Myrtaceae, and Fabaceae.

Sandalwood is the common name of many species of plants and their wood and oils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandalwood oil</span> Essential oil

Sandalwood oil is an essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of chips and billets cut from the heartwood of various species of sandalwood trees, mainly Santalum album and Santalum spicatum.

<i>Santalum freycinetianum</i> Species of tree

Santalum freycinetianum, the forest sandalwood, Freycinet sandalwood, or ʻIliahi, is a species of flowering tree in the European mistletoe family, Santalaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Its binomial name commemorates Henri Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet, a 19th-century French explorer. ʻIliahi inhabits dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, and Molokaʻi at elevations of 250–950 m (820–3,120 ft). It grows in areas that receive 500–3,800 mm (20–150 in) of annual rainfall. Like other members of its genus, ʻiliahi is a root hemi-parasite, deriving some of its nutrients from the host plant; common hosts include koa, koaiʻa, and ʻaʻaliʻi.

<i>Santalum ellipticum</i> Species of tree

Santalum ellipticum, commonly known as ʻIliahialoʻe (Hawaiian) or coastal sandalwood, is a species of flowering plant in the mistletoe family, Santalaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is a sprawling shrub to small tree, typically reaching a height of 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) and a canopy spread of 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft), but is extremely variable in size and shape. Like other members of the genus, S. ellipticum is a hemi-parasite, deriving some of its nutrients from the host plant by attaching to its roots.

<i>Santalum austrocaledonicum</i> Species of tree

Santalum austrocaledonicum, or New Caledonia sandalwood, is a sandalwood tree from the family Santalaceae. It is a small tree with gray bark and green leaves, and is parasitic. Most have been removed from their habitat due to logging; very few trees remain in the wild.

Ximenynic acid is trans-11-octadecen-9-ynoic acid, a long-chain acetylenic fatty acid.

References

  1. Gowland, K. (2021). "Santalum spicatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T172724199A172724334. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T172724199A172724334.en . Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Prendergast, Joanna; Lewis, Chris (20 November 2021). "Calls to better protect wild sandalwood amid fears of extinction". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  3. Statham-Drew, Pamela 2007, 'Sandalwood: WA's sometime saviour', Fremantle Studies, 5: 87-105 https://fremantlestuff.info/fhs/fs/5/Statham.html
  4. McLellan R. C. et al. (2021) Prolific or precarious: a review of the status of Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum [R.Br.] A.DC., Santalaceae). The Rangeland Journal 43, 211-222 https://www.publish.csiro.au/RJ/RJ21017
  5. "Noongar names for plants". kippleonline.net. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 "About". Dutjahn. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. Sandalwood (Santalum Spicatum) Guide for Farmers - Tree Facts pamphlet- Forest Products Commission - April 2007 specifically states Wheatbelt and areas with minimum 400 mm annual rainfall
  8. Australian National Botanic Gardens, Parks Australia. "Santalum acuminatum - Growing Native Plants". www.anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 Lane-Poole, C. E. (1922). A primer of forestry, with illustrations of the principal forest trees of Western Australia. Perth: F.W. Simpson, government printer. p.  44. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.61019. hdl:2027/umn.31951p011067200.
  10. Claridge, A.W.; Seebeck, J.H.; Rose, R. (2007). Bettongs, potoroos, and the musky rat-kangaroo. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Pub. p. 108. ISBN   9780643093416.
  11. "Under the Lap". The Quorn Mercury . South Australia. 23 November 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 18 September 2020 via National Library of Australia.
  12. University of Queensland site's detail
  13. Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden - Plants: Sandalwood, Santalum spicatum
  14. Murphy, Sean (reporter) (27 April 2007). "High hopes for native sandalwood". Landline (transcript). ABC. Retrieved 28 December 2018. Most of WA's native sandalwood harvest ends up at the Mt Romance essential oil factory in Albany, on the south coast of WA. It is converted into a liquid fetching as much as $1,000/kg.
  15. WA Gov site's detail Archived 2006-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Stevens, Rhiannon; Moussalli, Isabel (5 September 2020). "From the Gibson Desert to New York, these sandalwood harvesters are winning over the perfume market". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  17. "Sacred Tree". Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  18. Sandalwood Guide for Farmers states "being a root hemi-parasitic tree. it is planted with a nitrogen-fixing host species such as Acacia acuminata"
  19. "Santalum". Florabase. Department of Environment and conservation. August 2002. Retrieved 29 April 2007. /browse/flora?f=092&level=g&id=523 et al.
  20. Separation and identification of ximenynic acid isomers in the seed oil of Santalum spicatum R.Br. as their 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives. Yandi et al. 1996
  21. 1 2 McLellan R. C. et al. (2021) Prolific or precarious: a review of the status of Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum [R.Br.] A.DC., Santalaceae). The Rangeland Journal 43, 211-222. https://www.publish.csiro.au/RJ/RJ21017
  22. McLellan, R. C., & Watson, D. M. (2022). The living dead: Demography of Australian sandalwood in Australia's western rangelands. Austral Ecology, 47(8), 1685-1709. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13243
  23. Gowland, K. 2021. Santalum spicatum, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T172724199A172724334 https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/172724199/172724334