noun
chinaberry; Japanese bead tree
Refers to the tree Melia azedarach, known for its fragrant flowers and poisonous fruit. Often written in kana in general use, but the kanji 栴檀 is common in the proverb.
公園にセンダンの木が植えられている。
A chinaberry tree is planted in the park.
栴檀は双葉より芳し。
The sandalwood tree is fragrant from its seedling leaves. (proverb: genius shows from childhood)
noun
Rare, archaic, or mistaken use for Indian sandalwood (Santalum album). In modern Japanese, sandalwood is usually called 白檀 (びゃくだん). This sense may appear in classical texts or due to historical confusion.
古い文献では、栴檀が白檀を指すことがある。
In old texts, 栴檀 sometimes refers to sandalwood.
Standard modern word for Indian sandalwood (Santalum album). 栴檀 is rarely used for sandalwood today.
The kanji 栴檀 originally referred to sandalwood in Chinese, but in Japanese it came to designate the chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach). The exact historical shift is uncertain.