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India: Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. Illustration by William Roxburgh, 'Plants of the Coast of Coromandel', 1795

India: Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. Illustration by William Roxburgh, 'Plants of the Coast of Coromandel', 1795

Sandalwoods are medium-sized hemiparasitic trees. Notable members of this group are Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) and Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum). Others in the genus species have fragrant wood. These are found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. In India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka it is called Chandan.

The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades

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