ENTOMOPHILY AND ORNITHOCHORY IN THE INDIAN SANDALWOOD, SANTALUM ALBUM L. (SANTALACEAE)

Abstract

Santalum album is an evergreen tree species that flowers twice in a year with a gap of one month during May-September. It is hermaphrodite, obligately self-incompatible and entomophilous. The principal pollinators are bees and nymphalid butterflies while a species of hoverfly and potter wasp are additional pollinators in both flowering seasons. The fruits are fleshy, 1-or 2-seeded drupes and seed dispersal is ornithochorous. The study indicates that S. album is obligately vector-dependent for pollination and seed dispersal.