Sandalwood

Sandalwood, common name for a family of flowering plants mostly parasitic on the roots and stems of other plants, and for its representative genus. The family contains about 400 tropical and subtropical species of mostly root parasites. Members of the family can manufacture their own food through photosynthesis but depend on their hosts for water and minerals. True sandalwood is a medium-size tree widely cultivated in southern India. Sandalwood for carving and carpentry comes from its sapwood, and the sandal oil distilled from its roots and heartwood is used in soap, perfume, and ointments and for Eastern religious ceremonies. Because true sandalwood is rare and expensive, substitutes are often made from other plants.

The order to which sandalwood belongs contains about 10 families with a total of about 2000 species. The mistletoe family contains about 300 species. Several species are parasitic on economically important trees in Europe and North America; other species are pests on such tropical trees as rubber and cacao. The largest family in the order contains about 900 species, some of which are also commonly called mistletoe.

Members of the order characteristically attach themselves to their host by means of a haustorium (a specialized structure through which water and nutrients are absorbed). In many members of the order, the leaves are reduced to minute scales; those with full-size leaves are commonly evergreen.

Scientific classification: Sandalwoods make up the family Santalaceae in the order Santalales. The largest family in the order Santalales is Loranthaceae. The representative genus is Santalum. True sandalwood is classified as Santalum album.