Plant of the week with Alexander McCowan

One of the oldest perfumes known to man

Sandalwood (Santalum album) is a tree of the Santalaceae family, growing to about 18m in well drained soil in forests in south west Asia. It is a slow-growing semi-parasitic evergreen tree with oval-shaped opposed leaves on slender, drooping stems terminating in pale yellow to purple flowers producing pea-size fruit that contains one seed. The bark is of a grey leathery consistency and holds two per cent of the oil. All parts of the tree yield an essential oil which has a very sweet balsamic aroma that has an excellent tenacity.

Sandalwood is one of the oldest perfumes; it has been known for at least 4,000 years, traces of it have been found in Egyptian tombs and it is recorded as a medicament in ancient Sanskrit tablets. The oil contains santalols, sesquiterpenes, santalone and borneol. In Chinese medicine, the oil is used to treat stomach cramps, gonorrhoea, choleraic difficulties, eczema and asthma. In the Ayurvedic tradition it is applied for urinary and respiratory infections and for chronic diarrhea.

Sandalwood has long been recognised in the west as antidepressant, antiseptic, astringent, aphrodisiac, bactericidal, carminative, fungicidal, insecticidal, cicatrisant, sedative and tonic. Aromatherapists have applied the oil to give relief in cases of acne, dry chapped skin, bronchitis, laryngitis, cystitis, depression, insomnia, nervous tension and stress.

The plant is a favoured building material in Hindu temples and is commonly used to manufacture ornamental boxes and to fuel funeral pyres throughout southern India.

Recent research indicates that sandalwood oil is effective against staphylococcus aureus, which is now becoming a scourge in many European hospitals. Some establishments are using a dilute solution of the oil to paint bed-frames and bedding material.

Sandalwood is extensively used as a component and fixative in soaps, detergents, cosmetics and perfumes, it is very popular in aftershaves. It is a major constituent in eastern religious incense, as well as prominently featuring in soft and alcoholic drinks.

Next week Chervil

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.