Santalaceae

Santalaceae
Santalum ellipticum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Santalaceae
R.Br.
Synonyms[1]

Viscaceae Batsch (1802)

Santalum album

The Santalaceae, sandalwoods, are a widely distributed family of flowering plants (including small trees, shrubs, perennial herbs, and epiphytic climbers[2]) which, like other members of Santalales, are partially parasitic on other plants. Its flowers are bisexual or, by abortion ("flower drop"), unisexual.[3] Modern treatments of the Santalaceae include the family Viscaceae (mistletoes), previously considered distinct.

The APG II system of 2003 recognises the family and assigns it to the order Santalales in the clade core eudicots. However, the circumscription by APG is much wider than accepted by previous classifications, including the plants earlier treated in families Eremolepidaceae and Viscaceae. It includes about 1,000 species in 43 genera.[4] Many have reported traditional and cultural uses, including as medicine.[5]

Description

Flowers

Santalaceae flowers are variable. They are generally small with a valvate perianth in a single whorl.[6] The stamens are fused to the corolla, with a reduced calyx.[7]

Roots and stems

All members of this family are hemiparasistic, and attach to the roots or stems of their hosts via haustoria.[8] Aerial parasitism within Santalaceae has been observed in Amphorogyneae, Eremolepidaceae, and Viscaceae.[8]

Aerial parasitism of Visaceae

Uses

Multiple genera of Santalaceae have documented medical and cultural uses. The tree Santalum album L. is economically and culturally important and its byproducts are utilized for cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and religious purposes.[9][10] India is the largest producer of sandalwood oil.[10]

The Thesium genus contains 23 different species that have reported medical or functional uses, with 18 species utilized to treat 137 different health conditions.[11] These include reproductive, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and oral disorders, among others.[11] Medicinal uses of Thesium are confined to African and Asian species.[11]

Various species of mistletoes, including those within Santalaceae, have extensive cultural importance.

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of Santalaceae has undergone extensive and ongoing revisions. The families Amphorogynaceae, Cervantesiaceae, Comandraceae, and Nanodeaceae were previously considered distinct, but have since been reincorporated under Santalaceae.[12] Molecular analysis has confirmed Santalaceae as monophyletic and suggests the presence of eight clades.[12]

Genera

40 genera are accepted.[1]

Formerly placed here

References

  1. ^ a b Santalaceae R.Br. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Hewson & George [et al.], Santalaceae taxonomy Archived 2015-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, 1984, pp. 191-194.
  3. ^ Pilger, R. Santalaceae (with 17 figures). R. Br. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. (1810) 350, pp. 1-45.
  4. ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M. & Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3). Magnolia Press: 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
  5. ^ O'Neill, A. R.; Rana, S. K. (2019). "An ethnobotanical analysis of parasitic plants (Parijibi) in the Nepal Himalaya". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 12 (14): 14. doi:10.1186/s13002-016-0086-y. PMC 4765049. PMID 26912113.
  6. ^ "(PDF) A molecular phylogeny of Santalales". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  7. ^ Der, Joshua P.; Nickrent, Daniel L. (2008-03-01). "A Molecular Phylogeny of Santalaceae (Santalales)". Systematic Botany. 33 (1): 107–116. doi:10.1600/036364408783887438. ISSN 0363-6445.
  8. ^ a b Vidal-Russell, Romina; Nickrent, Daniel L. (2008-05-01). "The first mistletoes: Origins of aerial parasitism in Santalales". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47 (2): 523–537. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.016. ISSN 1055-7903.
  9. ^ Endress, Peter K. (2001), "Origins of Flower Morphology", The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology, Elsevier, pp. 493–510, doi:10.1016/B978-012730055-9/50034-3, ISBN 978-0-12-730055-9, archived from the original on 2021-10-31, retrieved 2026-02-10{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  10. ^ a b "(PDF) Sandalwood: History, uses, present status and the future". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  11. ^ a b c Lombard, Natasha; van Wyk, Ben-Erik; Marianne le Roux, M. (2020-06-28). "A review of the ethnobotany, contemporary uses, chemistry and pharmacology of the genus Thesium (Santalaceae)". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 256: 112745. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.112745. ISSN 0378-8741.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  12. ^ a b Nickrent, Daniel L.; Malécot, Valéry; Vidal-Russell, Romina; Der, Joshua P. (April 2010). "A revised classification of Santalales". TAXON. 59 (2): 538–558. doi:10.1002/tax.592019. ISSN 0040-0262. Archived from the original on 2025-06-21.
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