Santalum acuminatum
Encyclopedia
Santalum acuminatum, the desert quandong, is a hemiparasitic plant in the Sandalwood
family Santalaceae
, widely dispersed throughout the central deserts and southern areas of Australia
.
The species, especially its fruit, is also referred to as quandong or native peach. The use of the fruit as an exotic flavouring, one of the best known bushfood
s, has led to the attempted domestication
of the species.
are pointed at the tip, are pale or yellow-green, and leathery. These are supported on a short leaf stem, 5 – 10 mm long, the leaves themselves being 45 – 115 mm long. They are tapered in outline, and arranged in opposite pairs on the branchlets.
Flowers can be green or white on the outer parts, reddish or brown on the inner faces, these appear on stems, are just 2 – 3 mm across, and are fragrant. Fruit
is produced after four years and is red or sometimes yellow, measuring 20 and 25 mm across. A 3 mm layer of flesh covers a brain-like nut with a hard shell that encases the seed. This fruit is referred to as a drupe
, it ripens from green to a shiny red in late spring or summer, and is globe shaped and 20 – 40 mm across. The skin of the fruit is waxy.
Roots are adapted to a hemi-parasitic mechanism, utilising a haustorium
, on roots able to reach out 10 metres to other root systems.
quandong
with other plants, bearing similar fruit, it may be distinguished as the 'desert' or 'sweet'. The name Quandong usually refers to the fruit of S. acuminatum in commercial usuage. Variant spelling includes quondong and quandang. The fruit and plant are also named sweet quandong and native peach.
The plant was known to many different indigenous language groups, and is therefore known by many different names. The Wiradjuri
people of New South Wales
used the name guwandhang, from which the name quandong was adapted. Other indigenous names include; gutchu (Wotjobaluk, Western Victoria); wanjanu or mangata (Pitjantjatjara, Uluru
), and goorti (Narungga
).
The species was first described by Robert Brown
, named in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae (1810) as Fusanus acuminatus, based on his type collection made at Fowlers Bay, South Australia
, in 1802. Brown gave the Latin epithet acuminatus to denote the leaves – sharpened or pointed. The botanist Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle gave the current name in 1857, placing it in the genus Santalum
; the genus containing Australian Sandalwood, Santalum spicatum
, and White Sandalwood, Santalum album
. Several botanical names have been deemed to be synonymous with Santalum acuminatum, as described in Flora of Australia
(1984) and the Australian Plant Census (2006), these include: Santalum preissii F.Muell. in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae
(1861); Santalum cognatum and Santalum preissianum of Miquel
(1845); and Santalum densiflorum Gand. (1919).
Mida acuminata was given by Kuntze in an attempted revision, as with Eucarya acuminata (R.Br.) Sprague & Summerh..
A number of cultivar
s have been named in application for plant breeders' rights
, two have been accepted and another has been granted. The first named cultivar of the species was named Powell’s # 1, but application for legal recognition of this name was withdrawn. The second is known as Powell’s Red Supreme. Two names are given as accepted applications in the Plant Varieties Journal: ‘Powell’s Red Supreme’ and ‘Saltbush Lane’.
One variety of Santalum acuminatum is named in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
; following the publication of a description, Santalum acuminatum 'Frahn's Paringa Gem' (Plant Varieties Journal 17:1) became the first cultivar to be receive legal protection.
, was once more populous than this species; commercial exploitation has reversed this position.
The plant occurs in Western Australia
's north to Carnarvon
(24°53′S), reaching inland from the coastal plains, and is found throughout Southwest Australia
. The number of recorded specimens in this region is low, and mainly restricted to coastal sandplains, its range having been impacted by altered land-use in the wheatbelt
.
Some populations are discontinuous in the distribution range, as with many species of the region, beyond the dispersal range of the seeds. Remote groups of the species are remnant to former distribution ranges, to different climates, and these may be isolated by hundreds of kilometres. The species is one of those in the region to include 'wet outliers', small populations outside of the usual low rainfall habitat.
Occurrence of the plant is also recorded in South Australia
, Victoria
, and New South Wales
, and Queensland. It is widespread in western New South Wales, eastwards to Dubbo and Culcairn. It is rare in the northwest of the state.
The roots of the species have pad-like adaptations, that nearly encircle the host's root, this is typical of this genus of sandalwoods. Hosts can be other trees, or grasses, usually several plants are utilised. The taxa recorded in this relationship are species of genera; Acacia
, Maireana
, and Atriplex
, and many others, including hemiparasites such as Exocarpos sparteus
. This mechanism allows the plant to acquire 70% of its nitrogen, and some of its water, requirements from the roots of other trees and shrubs.
The tree occupies a diverse and widespread range of habitat, including creek beds, granite, gravel plains and sandy dunes. It is tolerant of drought, salt and high temperatures, and need not have a nutrient rich environ. The seedling can become established in the shade of its host, reaching for full sun once developed, so the plant is usually intermingled with host and other species.
The environs of the distribution range are subject to frequent bushfires, this requires the plant to regenerate from its roots, so the species is rarely found as an advanced tree. Those specimens exposed to bushfire and soil disturbance will occur as sprawling multi-stemmed shrubs. The plant's regrowth from the root system gives this species a lead over shrubs that recur from seed. Trees with a single main stem are in locations remote from these factors. The habit of older trees may overwhelm the adjacent plants; by monopolising the sunlight and parasitising roots of plants beyond its own canopy.
The foliage, being much paler than other trees and shrubs, makes the plant conspicuous in bushland and scrub. An occurrence of an unmolested specimen is recorded at Woodman Point in Western Australia, an area remote from the high intensity fires of altered regimes.
Emu
s will eat the fruit, it forming an important part of their diet, the nut remains undigested in their droppings. This is the usual method of S. acuminatum seed dispersal, when it is within the Emu's range.
A number of species interact with this plant, in a number of complex relationships, a noted example being Paraepermenia santaliella; the Quandong Moth of the Epermeniidae
family. Other creatures, such as larvae of Nitidulid
beetles and the Wood white butterfly, also feed on Santalum acuminatum.
The fruit and nut was an important food source, to the peoples of arid and semi-arid central Australia, especially for its high vitamin C
content. It is commercially grown and marketed as a bush food and is sometimes made into a jam, an enterprise begun in the 1970s. It is well known as an exotic food.
The research and development of domestication of the species was first under taken by Brian Powell, at a property in Quorn, South Australia
. The successful plants in this trial are classed as 'Significant Trees' by the state's National Trust
. This venture came to be supported by the CSIRO, in the 1970s, eventually becoming part of the research body's 'Sustainable Ecosystems' division.
The development of horticultural practice for the establishment of commercial orchards is being researched by a number of projects. Research and trials were undertaken in South Australia by grafting
‘Frahn’s Paringa Gem’ onto seedling rootstock, this is how the cultivar is propagated in orchards, the first sale of the variety was in 1997.
Host plants are needed in the establishment of an orchard, the species selected for this purpose impart factors affecting growth, resistance to infestation, and the harvest. The study of Melia azedarach
(White cedar) as a host to this species revealed that the S. acuminatum acquired insecticidal compounds that increased its resistance to the Quandong Moth. Researchers then determined that neurotoxins found in the host plant, and other substances harmful to mammals, can pass into the harvested fruit.
and Pythium
fungal species, may be present where the plant's preference for well drained soil is not provided. Nurseries have found the plant to be responsive to the treatments prescribed, if its presence is suspected, such as Phosphorous acid soil applications. A climate of high heat and humidity has occasionally induced black spot
on the leaves.
remains as the primary source for the widely used fruit. This was the method adopted by the colonists after their introduction to it. The plant will produce large amounts of fruit in years of good rainfall, indigenous Australians would dry this harvest and store the flesh for up to 8 years.
The establishment of experimental plantations, by the CSIRO in the 1970s, has seen a steady increase in supply by orchards to the market. This harvest is able to be protected from infestation, and is an easily identifiable source, meeting the requirements of food safety guidelines for commercial ingredients.
The plants produce a yield of 10 – 25 kg of fruit, 40% of the total weight is that of the kernel; the fruit is marketed as fresh or dried product. The kernel is edible when raw, and is also roasted and salted.
In South Australia
S. acuminatum is called "Wild Peach" or "desert Peach".
The fruit and nut of the plant were featured in a bushfood series of stamps produced by Australia Post
.
It is well known as an exotic food in foreign markets, sales that greatly exceed the consumption in its own country. The fruit also has free radical scavenging ability.
The fruit has been made commercially available, the distinctive flavour is used as an additive, particularly as a uniquely Australian product. This has usually been sourced from wild trees, sometimes by Aboriginal corporations, although the viability of commercial orchards is also being trialled.
Many Aboriginal
peoples are known to have used the fruit, but mainly they gathered the nuts. The undigested nut can be easily gathered from emu droppings.
The kernel has been identified, analysed, and monitored, as a 'wild harvested Australian indigenous food', by Food Standards Australia New Zealand
. The product is found to very high in fats, over half by weight.
, so it is able to be burnt as an illuminant. The wood is also oily, useful for starting a fire as a friction stick.
by regional craftsmen, but it is not used extensively. It is a durable material, but lacks the aromatic qualities of other sandalwoods. The hard and wrinkled nuts have been used ornamentally, for necklaces and shirt buttons, and were used as marbles on chinese checkers
' boards.
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The oil of sandalwoods, primarily Santalum album
, was described and investigated by pharmacologists, this species gained similar attention upon discovery. The more widely known Australian sandalwood, S. spicatum, was extensively harvested and exported, leaving S. acuminatum as the more common Santalum in many regions.
The established use of the fruit, by aboriginal peoples, was acknowledged by the early settlers of the colonies; this product was made into jam and chutney. The fruit is frequently mentioned in natural histories and botanical works, such as Flowers and plants of Western Australia, and traded as a commodity, however, the kernel of the seed has, historically, been the most extensively used.
Colonial ethnic groups did not attempt to domesticate indigenous plants in Australia, despite being known and occasionally used, but the great demand from export markets to Singapore, Britain, and elsewhere led to financial backing of growers and enthusiasts. The backyard of Dudley and Lyla Frahn in Paringa, South Australia
, contained an orchard of quandongs. The couple recorded yield and qualities of the fruit, one of which became the source for the variety registered and marketed as 'Frahn's Paringa Gold'.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
family Santalaceae
Santalaceae
Santalaceae is a widely distributed family of flowering plants which, like other members of Santalales, are partially parasitic on other plants...
, widely dispersed throughout the central deserts and southern areas of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The species, especially its fruit, is also referred to as quandong or native peach. The use of the fruit as an exotic flavouring, one of the best known bushfood
Bushfood
Bushfood traditionally relates to any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by the original inhabitants, the Australian Aborigines, but it is a reference to any native fauna/flora that is used for culinary and/or medicinal purposes regardless of which continent or culture it originates...
s, has led to the attempted domestication
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
of the species.
Description
Santalum acuminatum grows as a tall shrub, or small tree, 4 to 6 m (12–20 ft) high and 2–4 m (7–12 ft) wide. The rough bark is dark grey, and the branches ascending in character. Smaller plants formed by suckers from the roots are sometimes found surrounding larger plants. The smaller branches have a more weeping habit. The slender to ovate leavesLeaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
are pointed at the tip, are pale or yellow-green, and leathery. These are supported on a short leaf stem, 5 – 10 mm long, the leaves themselves being 45 – 115 mm long. They are tapered in outline, and arranged in opposite pairs on the branchlets.
Flowers can be green or white on the outer parts, reddish or brown on the inner faces, these appear on stems, are just 2 – 3 mm across, and are fragrant. Fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is produced after four years and is red or sometimes yellow, measuring 20 and 25 mm across. A 3 mm layer of flesh covers a brain-like nut with a hard shell that encases the seed. This fruit is referred to as a drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
, it ripens from green to a shiny red in late spring or summer, and is globe shaped and 20 – 40 mm across. The skin of the fruit is waxy.
Roots are adapted to a hemi-parasitic mechanism, utilising a haustorium
Haustorium
In botany, a haustorium is the appendage or portion of a parasitic fungus or of the root of a parasitic plant that penetrates the host's tissue and draws nutrients from it. Haustoria do not penetrate the host's cell membranes.Fungi in all major divisions form haustoria...
, on roots able to reach out 10 metres to other root systems.
Taxonomy and naming
The species shares the common nameCommon name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
quandong
Quandong
Quandong, quandang or quondong, is a common name for the species Santalum acuminatum , especially its edible fruit, but may also refer to* Aceratium concinnum...
with other plants, bearing similar fruit, it may be distinguished as the 'desert' or 'sweet'. The name Quandong usually refers to the fruit of S. acuminatum in commercial usuage. Variant spelling includes quondong and quandang. The fruit and plant are also named sweet quandong and native peach.
The plant was known to many different indigenous language groups, and is therefore known by many different names. The Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
people of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
used the name guwandhang, from which the name quandong was adapted. Other indigenous names include; gutchu (Wotjobaluk, Western Victoria); wanjanu or mangata (Pitjantjatjara, Uluru
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
), and goorti (Narungga
Narungga
The Narungga are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands are located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The boundary of their traditional lands runs roughly between the towns of Port Broughton and Port Wakefield....
).
The species was first described by Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
, named in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae (1810) as Fusanus acuminatus, based on his type collection made at Fowlers Bay, South Australia
Fowlers Bay, South Australia
Fowlers Bay, formerly Yalata, is a small coastal town in South Australia, located approximately north west of the state capital, Adelaide. Situated on the Nullarbor Plain, it was once an active port and a gateway to the western reaches of the continent, but fell into decline in the 1960s...
, in 1802. Brown gave the Latin epithet acuminatus to denote the leaves – sharpened or pointed. The botanist Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle gave the current name in 1857, placing it in the genus Santalum
Santalum
Santalum is a genus of woody flowering plants, the best known and commercially valuable of which is the Indian Sandalwood tree, S. album. Members of the genus are trees or shrubs. Most are root parasites which photosynthesize their own food but tap the roots of other species for water and...
; the genus containing Australian Sandalwood, Santalum spicatum
Santalum spicatum
Santalum spicatum, a species known as Australian sandalwood, is a tree native to semi-arid areas at the edge of Southwest Australia. It is traded as sandalwood and its valuable oil has been used as an aromatic, a medicine and a food source. S...
, and White Sandalwood, Santalum album
Santalum album
Santalum album or Indian sandalwood is a small tropical tree, the most commonly known source of sandalwood. This species has been utilised, cultivated and traded for many years, some cultures placing great significance on its fragrant and medicinal qualities. For these reasons it has been...
. Several botanical names have been deemed to be synonymous with Santalum acuminatum, as described in Flora of Australia
Flora of Australia
The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 20,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens...
(1984) and the Australian Plant Census (2006), these include: Santalum preissii F.Muell. in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae
Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae
Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae is a series of papers authored by the Victorian Government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in which he published many of his approximately 2000 descriptions of new taxa of Australian plants. The papers were issued in 94 parts between 1858 and 1882 and published in...
(1861); Santalum cognatum and Santalum preissianum of Miquel
Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel
Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel was a Dutch botanist.He was head of the botanical gardens at Rotterdam , Amsterdam and Utrecht . He directed the Rijksherbarium at Leiden from 1862...
(1845); and Santalum densiflorum Gand. (1919).
Mida acuminata was given by Kuntze in an attempted revision, as with Eucarya acuminata (R.Br.) Sprague & Summerh..
A number of cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s have been named in application for plant breeders' rights
Plant breeders' rights
Plant breeders' rights , also known as plant variety rights , are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give him exclusive control over the propagating material and harvested material of a new variety for a number of years.With these rights, the breeder can choose...
, two have been accepted and another has been granted. The first named cultivar of the species was named Powell’s # 1, but application for legal recognition of this name was withdrawn. The second is known as Powell’s Red Supreme. Two names are given as accepted applications in the Plant Varieties Journal: ‘Powell’s Red Supreme’ and ‘Saltbush Lane’.
One variety of Santalum acuminatum is named in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants regulates the names of cultigens...
; following the publication of a description, Santalum acuminatum 'Frahn's Paringa Gem' (Plant Varieties Journal 17:1) became the first cultivar to be receive legal protection.
Distribution
Santalum acuminatum is widely distributed throughout most southern regions of mainland Australia, including the arid centre of the country, and in some regions is common. The sandalwood cogenor, Santalum spicatumSantalum spicatum
Santalum spicatum, a species known as Australian sandalwood, is a tree native to semi-arid areas at the edge of Southwest Australia. It is traded as sandalwood and its valuable oil has been used as an aromatic, a medicine and a food source. S...
, was once more populous than this species; commercial exploitation has reversed this position.
The plant occurs in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
's north to Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
(24°53′S), reaching inland from the coastal plains, and is found throughout Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
. The number of recorded specimens in this region is low, and mainly restricted to coastal sandplains, its range having been impacted by altered land-use in the wheatbelt
Wheatbelt
A wheat belt is an agricultural region predominantly dedicated to the growing of wheat--98.77.166.159 23:27, 21 November 2011 also has lots of corn and crops to deal with to.It may more specifically refer to:* Wheat belt...
.
Some populations are discontinuous in the distribution range, as with many species of the region, beyond the dispersal range of the seeds. Remote groups of the species are remnant to former distribution ranges, to different climates, and these may be isolated by hundreds of kilometres. The species is one of those in the region to include 'wet outliers', small populations outside of the usual low rainfall habitat.
Occurrence of the plant is also recorded in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and Queensland. It is widespread in western New South Wales, eastwards to Dubbo and Culcairn. It is rare in the northwest of the state.
Ecology
The plant is hemi-parasitic; able to photosynthesize, but using the root system of other plants to acquire nutrients other than sugars. The Santalum genus of plants attaches to other species, in a non-destructive way, sustaining itself by their provision of nitrogen, shade, and water.The roots of the species have pad-like adaptations, that nearly encircle the host's root, this is typical of this genus of sandalwoods. Hosts can be other trees, or grasses, usually several plants are utilised. The taxa recorded in this relationship are species of genera; Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, Maireana
Maireana
Maireana is a genus of around 57 species of perennial shrubs and herbs in the family Amaranthaceae which are endemic to Australia. Species in this genus were formerly classified within the genus Kochia...
, and Atriplex
Atriplex
Atriplex is a plant genus of 100-200 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache . The genus is quite variable and widely distributed. It includes many desert and seashore plants and halophytes, as well as plants of moist environments...
, and many others, including hemiparasites such as Exocarpos sparteus
Exocarpos sparteus
Exocarpos sparteus is an Australian endemic plant species, commonly known as the Broom Ballart or native cherry. The species is found in all states of mainland Australia.-Description:...
. This mechanism allows the plant to acquire 70% of its nitrogen, and some of its water, requirements from the roots of other trees and shrubs.
The tree occupies a diverse and widespread range of habitat, including creek beds, granite, gravel plains and sandy dunes. It is tolerant of drought, salt and high temperatures, and need not have a nutrient rich environ. The seedling can become established in the shade of its host, reaching for full sun once developed, so the plant is usually intermingled with host and other species.
The environs of the distribution range are subject to frequent bushfires, this requires the plant to regenerate from its roots, so the species is rarely found as an advanced tree. Those specimens exposed to bushfire and soil disturbance will occur as sprawling multi-stemmed shrubs. The plant's regrowth from the root system gives this species a lead over shrubs that recur from seed. Trees with a single main stem are in locations remote from these factors. The habit of older trees may overwhelm the adjacent plants; by monopolising the sunlight and parasitising roots of plants beyond its own canopy.
The foliage, being much paler than other trees and shrubs, makes the plant conspicuous in bushland and scrub. An occurrence of an unmolested specimen is recorded at Woodman Point in Western Australia, an area remote from the high intensity fires of altered regimes.
Emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
s will eat the fruit, it forming an important part of their diet, the nut remains undigested in their droppings. This is the usual method of S. acuminatum seed dispersal, when it is within the Emu's range.
A number of species interact with this plant, in a number of complex relationships, a noted example being Paraepermenia santaliella; the Quandong Moth of the Epermeniidae
Epermeniidae
Epermeniidae or "fringe-tufted moths" is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order with about 14 genera. Previously they have been divided in two subfamilies Epermeniinae and Ochromolopinae but this is no longer maintained since the last group is probably hierarchically nested within the first...
family. Other creatures, such as larvae of Nitidulid
Sap beetle
The sap beetles are a family of beetles.They are small ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and sap...
beetles and the Wood white butterfly, also feed on Santalum acuminatum.
Cultivation
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
content. It is commercially grown and marketed as a bush food and is sometimes made into a jam, an enterprise begun in the 1970s. It is well known as an exotic food.
Propagation and pests
An inadequate knowledge of the plant's ecology led to many early failures in the cultivation of this species. Commercial trials and propagation by enthusiasts have attempted to reproduce the circumstances of its native habitat; well drained soil, germination techniques, and selection of appropriate hosts have been more successful. Germinating the seed has been more successful, up to 35% when it laid aside for 12 – 18 months. Growers laying seeds into mulch, obtained from host plants, report a high rate of success. Cultivation of this plant has faced other obstacles, the species is susceptible to a number of pests and fungal diseases.The research and development of domestication of the species was first under taken by Brian Powell, at a property in Quorn, South Australia
Quorn, South Australia
Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area...
. The successful plants in this trial are classed as 'Significant Trees' by the state's National Trust
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. This venture came to be supported by the CSIRO, in the 1970s, eventually becoming part of the research body's 'Sustainable Ecosystems' division.
The development of horticultural practice for the establishment of commercial orchards is being researched by a number of projects. Research and trials were undertaken in South Australia by grafting
Grafting
Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called inosculation...
‘Frahn’s Paringa Gem’ onto seedling rootstock, this is how the cultivar is propagated in orchards, the first sale of the variety was in 1997.
Host plants are needed in the establishment of an orchard, the species selected for this purpose impart factors affecting growth, resistance to infestation, and the harvest. The study of Melia azedarach
Melia azedarach
Melia azedarach is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Pakistan, India, Indochina Southeast Asia and Australia...
(White cedar) as a host to this species revealed that the S. acuminatum acquired insecticidal compounds that increased its resistance to the Quandong Moth. Researchers then determined that neurotoxins found in the host plant, and other substances harmful to mammals, can pass into the harvested fruit.
Diseases
Soil borne agents of disease, such as PhytophthoraPhytophthora
Phytophthora is a genus of plant-damaging Oomycetes , whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on crops worldwide, as well as environmental damage in natural ecosystems. The genus was first described by Heinrich Anton de Bary in 1875...
and Pythium
Pythium
Pythium is a genus of parasitic oomycete. Most species are plant parasites, but Pythium insidiosum is an important pathogen of animals...
fungal species, may be present where the plant's preference for well drained soil is not provided. Nurseries have found the plant to be responsive to the treatments prescribed, if its presence is suspected, such as Phosphorous acid soil applications. A climate of high heat and humidity has occasionally induced black spot
Diplocarpon rosae
Diplocarpon rosae is a fungus that causes the rose disease Black Spot.Because it was observed by people of various countries around the same time , the nomenclature for the fungus varied with about 25 different names...
on the leaves.
Harvest
The fruit and nut of S. acuminatum are collected from the tree, or the nut from a dropping of the emu; wild harvestWild Harvest
Wild Harvest is a 1947 film directed by Tay Garnett. It stars Alan Ladd and Dorothy Lamour.-Cast:*Alan Ladd as Joe Madigan*Dorothy Lamour as Fay Rankin*Robert Preston as Jim Davis*Lloyd Nolan as Kink*Richard Erdman as Mark Lewis...
remains as the primary source for the widely used fruit. This was the method adopted by the colonists after their introduction to it. The plant will produce large amounts of fruit in years of good rainfall, indigenous Australians would dry this harvest and store the flesh for up to 8 years.
The establishment of experimental plantations, by the CSIRO in the 1970s, has seen a steady increase in supply by orchards to the market. This harvest is able to be protected from infestation, and is an easily identifiable source, meeting the requirements of food safety guidelines for commercial ingredients.
The plants produce a yield of 10 – 25 kg of fruit, 40% of the total weight is that of the kernel; the fruit is marketed as fresh or dried product. The kernel is edible when raw, and is also roasted and salted.
Food
The commercial use of the fruit includes its addition to sweet and savoury foods, the flavour is tart and reminiscent of peach, apricot or rhubarb.In South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
S. acuminatum is called "Wild Peach" or "desert Peach".
The fruit and nut of the plant were featured in a bushfood series of stamps produced by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
.
It is well known as an exotic food in foreign markets, sales that greatly exceed the consumption in its own country. The fruit also has free radical scavenging ability.
The fruit has been made commercially available, the distinctive flavour is used as an additive, particularly as a uniquely Australian product. This has usually been sourced from wild trees, sometimes by Aboriginal corporations, although the viability of commercial orchards is also being trialled.
Many Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
peoples are known to have used the fruit, but mainly they gathered the nuts. The undigested nut can be easily gathered from emu droppings.
The kernel has been identified, analysed, and monitored, as a 'wild harvested Australian indigenous food', by Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Australia New Zealand is the governmental body responsible for developing food standards for Australia and New Zealand .FSANZ develops food standards after consulting with other government agencies and stakeholders...
. The product is found to very high in fats, over half by weight.
Medicine
The fruit, containing vitamin C, and the kernel of the nut, containing complex oils, were used by the peoples in whose countries the species occurred. Antibacterial qualities are present in the wood of this, and all the Santalum spp., especially in the roots. A known application of the extract was to heal ailments of the skin. The commercial production of cogenor Santalum spicatum is more advanced than this species, although research is being undertaken into the marketing of these medicinal substances.Fuel
The seed is very high in flammable oils, like a candlenutCandlenut
Aleurites moluccana, the Candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as Candleberry, Indian walnut, Kemiri, Varnish tree, Nuez de la India, Buah keras or Kukui nut tree....
, so it is able to be burnt as an illuminant. The wood is also oily, useful for starting a fire as a friction stick.
Timber
The hard, oily, timber is used for furniture and cabinet makingCabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
by regional craftsmen, but it is not used extensively. It is a durable material, but lacks the aromatic qualities of other sandalwoods. The hard and wrinkled nuts have been used ornamentally, for necklaces and shirt buttons, and were used as marbles on chinese checkers
Chinese checkers
Chinese checkers is a board game that can be played by two, three, four, or six people, playing individually or with partners...
' boards.
History
Santalum album
Santalum album or Indian sandalwood is a small tropical tree, the most commonly known source of sandalwood. This species has been utilised, cultivated and traded for many years, some cultures placing great significance on its fragrant and medicinal qualities. For these reasons it has been...
, was described and investigated by pharmacologists, this species gained similar attention upon discovery. The more widely known Australian sandalwood, S. spicatum, was extensively harvested and exported, leaving S. acuminatum as the more common Santalum in many regions.
The established use of the fruit, by aboriginal peoples, was acknowledged by the early settlers of the colonies; this product was made into jam and chutney. The fruit is frequently mentioned in natural histories and botanical works, such as Flowers and plants of Western Australia, and traded as a commodity, however, the kernel of the seed has, historically, been the most extensively used.
Colonial ethnic groups did not attempt to domesticate indigenous plants in Australia, despite being known and occasionally used, but the great demand from export markets to Singapore, Britain, and elsewhere led to financial backing of growers and enthusiasts. The backyard of Dudley and Lyla Frahn in Paringa, South Australia
Paringa, South Australia
Paringa is a small town in the Riverland of South Australia. Paringa is famous for its vineyards, almond, citrus and stone fruit orchards, and the beautiful steel bridge with a span that can be raised to allow houseboats and paddlesteamers to pass underneath. across the Murray River to Renmark....
, contained an orchard of quandongs. The couple recorded yield and qualities of the fruit, one of which became the source for the variety registered and marketed as 'Frahn's Paringa Gold'.