About Osyris lanceolata Steud. & Hochst. ex A.DC.
Osyris lanceolata, commonly called African sandalwood, watta bush, or Camwood, is harvested for its scented wood and for essential oil extraction. This semi-parasitic plant has a distribution that spans from South Africa to Zimbabwe and East Africa (including Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda), as well as northwest Africa, the Canary Islands, and the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. It typically grows in rocky areas or along the edges of dry forests, and it is not usually abundant in any single location. Parts of the species’ range see overexploitation of its wood, even though the plant is covered by legal protection. In Somaliland, the tree’s leaves and tender branches are used to tan leather.
