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Sandalwood family
Santalaceae R.Br.
ビャクダン科
A family of hemiparasitic to holoparasitic plants distributed from tropical to temperate regions worldwide (broadly circumscribed under APG IV to include parts of former Viscaceae and Balanophoraceae). Comprising about 44 genera and 990 species, the aromatic heartwood of sandalwood (Santalum album) is highly valued. In Japan, the family includes relatives of Pedicularis and Thesium.
Key Characteristics
- ●Most are hemiparasitic, parasitizing roots or stems
- ●Leaves are simple, alternate or opposite (reduced in some species)
- ●Flowers are small, 3- to 5-merous
- ●Fruit is a drupe or berry
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Tree / Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Stipules
Absent
Aromatic
Aromatic / None
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Petal count
3 petals
Ovary position
Inferior / Half-inferior
Stamen count
3-4
Plant sex
Dioecious / Hermaphrodite / Monoecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Santalales > Santalaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 85 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Evolution of root parasitism and establishment of host dependency
- ・Evolution of aromatic heartwood in sandalwood (S. album) and its human utilization
- ・Major expansion of the family through taxonomic reorganization under APG IV
Plants in Sandalwood family on this site
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