Osyris lanceolata, also known as African sandalwood, watta bush or Camwood, is used for its scented wood and to extract essential oil. The semi-parasitic plant is found from South Africa to Zimbabwe and east Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda; northwest Africa; the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia.[3] It grows in rocky areas or along the margins of dry forest, but is usually not abundant in any one place.
Osyris lanceolata | |
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Foliage and fruit | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Santalales |
Family: | Santalaceae |
Genus: | Osyris |
Species: | O. lanceolata
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Binomial name | |
Osyris lanceolata | |
Synonyms | |
The wood is overexploited in parts of its range despite legal protection.[4] In Somaliland, the leaves and tender branches of the tree are used for tanning leather.[5]
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