Flowers and leaves. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Ripe fruit and leaves. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Old fruit and seed. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Tree. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Bark. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Bitter Quandong, Ming

Family

Santalaceae

Notes

Shrub or tree to 4m tall.  Leaves mainly opposite each other on the stem, some in whorls of three or alternating along the stem, 1.5-5cm long, 1.5-4mm wide, flat, hairless, with curved points.  Flowers often small (less than 3mm across), cream to yellow, or red, with 4 'petals', in panicles on stalks arising from the bases of the leaves. Fruit red to brownish red, bitter, inedible.  Endangered NSW.  Protected NSW.

Differs from Santalum lanceolatum in that the flowers are 3-4mm long and the fruit to 2-3cm in diameter.

Differs from Santalum acuminatum in that some of the leaves may be in whorls of 3 or more, or alternate up the stems and the leaves are usually less than 4mm wide, and the perianth drops off while the fruit is still young.

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~murrayanum

NSW Department of Environment & Heritage profile:  http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10742