Sandalwood, valued for its heartwood, is a semi-parisitic plant, that is, it requires a host plant to grow. It belongs to the genus <i>Santalum</i> and in total there are 16 species of the plant. Indian sandalwood, <i>Santalum album,</i> grows the fastest and has the greatest percentage of oil in its heartwood (6-7 per cent). IUCN listed Indian sandalwood in its Red List as a "vulnerable' species in 1998 after its production fell by at least 80 per cent over the last 10 years due to overexploitation. <br>