The mature height of this plant is variable, from 1 to 7 m. The flowers are green, white, and cream, appearing between January and October.

[2] Santalum lanceolatum was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.

It is a plant primarily of arid and semiarid inland areas, although its distribution reaches the coast in both Central Queensland and the Kimberley.

The tree is becoming increasingly rare across much of its desert range due to destructive browsing by feral camels.

The family Santalaceae falls within the mistletoe clade, and S. lanceolatum is a hemiparasite, which obtains some of its water and mineral nutrient requirements from the roots of other plants.