BIONATURE

Osyris lanceolata Hochst. & Steud. (Santalaceae), commonly known as African sandalwood or Jangli Chai, is an evergreen, hemiparasitic tree of high medicinal and economic importance, yet its regional ecology and distribution in India remain poorly documented. The present study synthesizes information from published literature and targeted field surveys conducted in forested and hilly regions of Odisha, India, to document its habit, habitat, morphology, host associations, distribution, and ethnomedicinal uses. Field observations confirmed the occurrence of O. lanceolata in the Deomali hills of Koraput district, supplementing earlier records from Mahendragiri and Similipal, and revealed a highly scattered and patchy population structure restricted mainly to rocky slopes and montane dry woodlands. The species was found to parasitize multiple host plants, including Pongamia pinnata, Wendlandia thyrsoidea, and the invasive shrub Ageratina adenophora, indicating marked host generalism and ecological flexibility. Despite this adaptability, populations were typically represented by isolated individuals or small clusters, suggesting poor natural regeneration and potential vulnerability to habitat disturbance and destructive harvesting. The compilation of ethnomedicinal uses highlights extensive reliance on bark, roots, and heartwood, raising concerns regarding sustainability. By consolidating ecological and ethnobotanical information with new locality records from Odisha, this study provides a regional baseline that can guide site-specific conservation planning, promote sustainable utilization, and inform future research on population dynamics and regeneration biology of this increasingly threatened hemiparasitic tree.