Flower. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Oolambeyan National Park E of Hay, NSW

Flowers, fruit, and leaves. Australian Plant Image index, photo: Murray Fagg, Oolambeyan National Park E of Hay, NSW

Flowers, fruit, and leaves. Australian Plant Image index, photo: John Wrigley, Wilga Park, Vic

Leaves and fruit. Photo: Schounmynv, unknown place

Common Name

Northern Sandalwood, Sandalwood, Plumbush, Native Plumbush, Cherry Bush

Family

Santalaceae

Notes

Shrub or tree to 7m tall. Leaves opposite each other, 2-9cm long, 5-40mm wide, flat, hairless, often slightly glaucous, pointed, often with a curved point, sometimes obtuse. Flowers with 4 cream 'petals', in short open panicles or racemes on stalks arising from the bases of the leaves or from the ends of the branches. Fruit dark blue to purple, edible. Endangered Vic. Threatened plant list Vic.

Differs from Santalum acuminatum and Santalum lanceaolatum in that the flowers are 5-8mm long and the fruit to 1.5cm in diameter.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 227

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Santalum~lanceolatum