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Some people may have seen this posted elsewhere but for those that haven't, this is Sandalwood. A slow growing, hemi-parasitic plant, meaning it is parasitic but can also photosynthesize on its own. The usual host tree in plantations is the Acacia acuminata. Other host plants can be Acacia victoriae (and other nitrogen fixing plants - so other FABACEAE also?). Even Casurina obesa can be used. The common host in the wild is Acacia aneura (Mulga), which is also extremely slow growing. I will be doing some experiments to see if they are able to use Eucalyptus for hosts, among some other Genus Seed ripening on the tree. It consists of the brown husk which contains a hard nut which holds the seed. Some nuts will rattle around inside the husk and some the husk will shrivel over the nut - this is a pain in the ass as you have to de-husk them. I find if you leave seed over an ants nest they will do the work for you but it may take some time. This is the first time I have seen the husk and hard nut splitting open while still attached to the tree. I took all the seed from the split ones and planted them with some jam saplings. I am taking notes to see if these are viable. Sandalwood seedlings can survive for approximately 12 months from time of germination until they require a host. The nuts need to be cracked before germination will occur. These nuts have a natural weak spot along the micropyle. A few gentle taps with a hammer and it will split open. Then the imbibing of water will kickstart the process. Loaded with unripe fruits. Another 4-6 weeks and we will have bucket loads - literally. I love the foliage colour. Cool photo of growth stages. I have removed 8 seedlings and will also take notes on how well they adapt to being transplanted, if at all. Hopefully can do a seed give away towards the end of the year for those who have good climate, soils and host trees which are at least 1 year old. Said seed giveaway won't take 2 years either Note: all from private land

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/worth-of-black-market-sandalwood-seized/story-e6frg13u-1226457262968 from Perthnow "MORE than 40 tonnes of illegally harvested sandalwood destined for the black market was seized in regional WA last week. The sandalword, worth about $600,000, was seized in the Kalgoorlie area on August 17 and the Menzies area on August 18. Charges are expected to be laid. Illegally harvested sandalwood is exported out of Australia to Asia, where it is used for medicinal and aromatic purposes. Department of Environment and Conservation senior investigator Rick Dawson said illegal harvesting was on the rise. "Sandalwood can command up to $15,000/tonne, and this has resulted in an upsurge of illegal activity by people who want to cash in on this very lucrative market," he said. "Since March 2011, DEC with the assistance of WA police has seized 17 consignments of illegally harvested sandalwood weighing in excess of 70 tonnes and valued at around $1 million, with one perseon charged and several investigations ongoing." Mr Dawson said the harvesting practices used by illegal operators damaged natural bushland and were wasteful and unsustainable. "Anyone involved in the sale, transport or processing of illegally harvested sandalwood faces prosecution under State legislation and will be required to forfeit all machinery and equipment used," he said. People are encouraged to report any suspicious activities with sandalwood, particularly vehicle movements and registration numbers, to their nearest DEC office or WA Police." ^^^^^^^^ hmmmmm, is this just a way of monitoring other species in the area without alerting the people in the area? I mean, i presume they are talking about Santalum spicatum so all you have to do is look at the main host species for this Sandalwood