Genus PISTACIA, Linn. 



Anacardiacese. 



Syst. Nat. 



Synonymes. 



Pistacia, Terebinthus, 



Dioecia Pentandria. 

 Syst, Lin. 



Of Authors. 



Dentations. The word Pistacia, ig derived from the Greek pistakia, or. according to some, from the Arabic fouataq, ih 

 name of the inie pistachio. Terebinthus is derived from the Greek terebinthos, the name of the Turpentine-tree. 



Gtneric Characters. The sexes are dioecious, and the flowers without petals. In the male plants, the 

 flowers are disposed in racemes that resemble catkins ; every flower is bracteated by a scale ; the 

 calex is 5-cleft ; and the stamens are 5, inserted into a calycine disk, or into a calyx, and have 4-cor- 

 nered, almost sessile anthers. In female plants, the flowers are disposed in a raceme, less closely than 

 in the male ; the calyx is 3 4-cleft ; the ovary is 1 3-celled ; the stigmas are three, and thickish ; 

 and the fruit is a dry, ovate drupe, the nut of which is rather bony, and usually 1-ceIled, though some- 

 times it shows two abortive cells at the side ; the cell contains a single seed, which is aflixed to the 

 bottom. The cotyledons of the seeds are thick, fleshy, and oily, and bent back upon the radiolj. The 

 species are trees with pinnate leaves. Be Candolle, Prodromus. 



HE genus Pistacia is chiefly confined to western Asia, southern 

 Europe, and northern Africa. The four principal species are the 

 Pistacia vera or true pistacia ; the Pistacia terebinthus or Venetian 

 turpentine-tree, which produces the Venetian and Chian turpen- 

 tine, used for manufacturing sealing-wax ; the Pistacia lentisciis. 

 or mastic tree, which produces the mastic of commerce ; and the 

 Pistacia atlantica, or Mount Atlas turpentine-tree. Mastic and turpentine are 

 regarded as astringent and diuretic; although they retain a place in Materia 

 Medica, they are not much used by modern practitioners. Mastic is employed 

 by the Turkish and Armenian women as a masticatory for cleaning their teeth, 

 and for imparting an agreeable odour to their breath. It is also used to fill the 

 cavities of carious teeth. 



