-- Beverly Elischer Perth, Western Australia Ph. +61 8 9386 5244
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- To: h*@ccnet.com
- Subject: Re: sandalwood
- From: J* &* B* E* <e*@town.nd.edu.au>
- Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 21:55:49 +0800
- References: <v01520d00b25955aa82db@[207.21.142.127]>
Jerry Heverly wrote: > > I'm hoping someone on the list can save me from my own vanity: > > I was teaching a class at a local Junior College this afternoon. I was > talking about diversity of species, reaching out for new species, etc. At > the end of class a lady came up to me and asked if I could find her a > source for a sandalwood tree. I had a vague notion of what a sandalwood > tree was--something from SE Asia I thought. Being vain I boasted that I'd > have no trouble tracking down a source for her within 48 hours. > > Then came the hard part. > > I found that there isn't *one* sandalwood tree but many. I was heartened > to find out that the most common commercially raised sandalwoods(*Santalum > spicatum* and *Santalum album*) are native to "medium and low rainfall > areas of Western Australia". The outskirts of Perth were even specified in > a publication called "Agriculture Western Australia". > > I found a company that sells seed of S.spicatum, M.L.Farrar Seed Co. of > Bomaderry. > > But I found no mention of anyone in the states selling any Santalum's, > including the six species native to Hawaii. > > And, ominously, I also found: > --someone mentioned it in an email seeking psychoactive plants from > Australia. Anyone know about this? > --Santalum's have been over-harvested and are under strict > protections in Australia. I don't know that that would indicate any export > restrictions but who knows? > --Florida lists a Santalum as an invasive species under state > quarantine. This lady wants to plant hers in Arizona. I wonder if Arizona > has similar restrictions. > --The magazine above has a sentence that I've never heard before in > connection with a tree. It says: "{Santalum} is a parasite and needs a > host plant to survive." *Acacia acuminata* and *Acacia aneura* are > mentioned as hosts. I don't understand. Does this tree wrap itself around > an Acacia as it begins growth? Apparently the parasite status only lasts > for the first year or two of the tree's life. Can someone clue me in on > this one? > > And, finally, has anyone any knowledge of a US firm selling any species of > sandalwood tree? > > Jerry Heverly, Oakland, CA Can't help you with the US seed sources Jerry, but yes, Santalum is a parasitic plant but no, it is not a strangler; its roots latch onto the roots of other plants but do not seem to do these any harm. The standard way to raise seedlings is to use couch grass initially as a host plant, I've heard. Definitely not a rainforest tree, Barry - it grows in semi-desert areas from where it is "pulled" - not cut, as the roots are also valuable - and exported to Asia for use in incense and fragrant wood products. The export trade still goes on but as obviously stocks are running low, there are now plantations being established. I've been told these use Asian varieties which contain more of the fragrant oil. Can't see why it would be listed as invasive; maybe those Hawaiian types are different from the West Australian variety. If you find out about the psychoactivity, let us know, we would love to tell visitors about it! (What does it mean anyhow??) Beverly -- Beverly Elischer Perth, Western Australia Ph. +61 8 9386 5244
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