Sandalwood in the Cook Islands

Abstract

Reports of sandalwood, Santalum sp., being present on Rarotonga in the early part of the nineteenth century are presumably incorrect, because no specimens from there have ever been found. However, sandalwood does grow on Mitiaro to the northeast and is here named as a new variety of S. insulare Bert. Within this widespread French Polynesian species the Cook Island plant is closest to the type variety from the Society Islands.