About Santalum lanceolatum R.Br.
Santalum lanceolatum R.Br. is an Australian tree belonging to the family Santalaceae. Its common names include desert quandong, northern sandalwood, sandalwood, true sandalwood, and burdardu in some regions. Mature individuals of this species reach a variable height between 1 and 7 meters. Its flowers are green, white, and cream, and bloom from January to October. The species is distributed across central Australia, and occurs only as scattered, uncommon populations in more southern areas. Its native range extends from north-western Victoria, northward through New South Wales to North Queensland, and westward across the Northern Territory into north-western Western Australia. It grows primarily in arid and semiarid inland areas, though its distribution also reaches the coast in Central Queensland and the Kimberley. Across most of its desert range, the tree is growing increasingly rare due to destructive browsing by feral camels. The family Santalaceae is part of the mistletoe clade, and S. lanceolatum is a hemiparasite: it obtains part of its required water and mineral nutrients from the roots of other plants. Indigenous peoples of north-western Australia use this plant for medicinal purposes, and it is included in the Burndad song cycle of the region. In the Marra language, the species is called dumbuyumbu; this name is also used in neighbouring languages such as Alawa, and in Roper River Kriol. Burning the leaves of this plant is thought to repel insects.
