Herbs, perennial, shrubs or trees, usually partial parasites, mostly on roots or sometimes
on stems of hosts, sometimes growing independently as epiphytes. Leaves alternate or opposite,
simple, entire, foliaceous or reduced to scales and exstipulate, pinnately or palmately veined.
Inflorescence a dichasial raceme, spike or head, or the flowers solitary and axils. Flowers:
minute, regular, monochlamydous, bisexual, unisexual or polygamous with perigynous or
epigynous disc. Perianth simple, tubular; tube reduced in male; in female the lower part adnate
to the ovary, (3 -) 4 (- 5)-lobed, toothed or cleft above, valvate in bud, often petaloid; stamens 3
or 5, inserted opposite to the perianth lobes and between the lobes of the disc; filaments short,
broad; anthers 2-loculed, dehiscing longitudinally; disc epigynous or perigynous; ovary inferior,
semi-inferior or superior, unilocular with 1 - 4 ovules suspended from the top of the free central
placenta; style short; stigma entire or 3 - 5-lobed. Fruits indehiscent nuts or fleshy drupes;
seeds solitary, without testa and with a small embryo at the end of the large endosperm, which
is copious and fleshy.
Mostly in the tropical and subtropical regions, but some extending to temperate regions
also, ca 34 genera and ca 540 species; 6 genera and 12 species in India.
Literature.
NASIR, Y. J. (1984). Santalaceae. In: E. Nasir & S. I. Ali (eds.). Flora of Pakistan, no.
159: 1 - 6. PHILCOX, D. (1999). Santalaceae. In: Dassanayake & Clayton (eds). Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceylon
13: 198 - 202.
