Erect shrub or small tree to c. 4 m high; branchlets spreading to pendulous, angular-striate, glabrous. Leaves opposite and in whorls of 3, narrow-lanceolate, mostly 1.5–3.5 cm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, uncinate, margins flat, surfaces concolorous, pale, yellowish- or greyish-green; petiole 1–4 mm long. Inflorescences many-flowered, mostly in upper axillary panicles shorter than leaves; peduncle 10–20 mm long; pedicels 1–2 mm long. Receptacle c. 1 mm long; tepals 4, triangular-ovate, 1–2 mm long, obtuse, yellowish, caducous; basal hair tuft short; disc barely lobed; style c. 0.5 mm long, stigma 3-lobed. Drupe globose with small circular apical scar, 15–25 mm diam., green to brownish, exceedingly bitter and inedible; endocarp wrinkled or slightly pitted; kernel edible. Flowers Aug.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, RobP, Gold, GGr. Also WA, SA, NSW. Scattered through north-western Victoria, mostly in mallee communities on sandhills and rather uncommon.
Source:
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Santalum. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 35–37. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
