380 ANACARDIACEE. 
Vernacular.—Darakht-i-pisteh (Pers.) The fruit, Pasteh 
(Pers., Ind.), The galls, Buzghanj (Pers.), Gul-i-pisteh (Pers., _ 
Ind.), Getela (Beng.). : 
History, Uses, &c.—The tree forms forests at an 
altitude of 3,000 feet in the Badghis and Khorasan ; it is also — 
cultivated in Persia. The forests are known as Pistalik, and are a 
source of considerable profit to their owners. (Atichison.) The — 
wild fruit is smaller and more terebinthinate in flavour than the 
cultivated. Many people prefer it. Pistachio nuts were known to 
the ancients, who introduced the tree into Hurope According 
to Pliny, they were first brought to Rome by Lucius Vitellius, 
Governor of Syria, about theend of the reignof Tiberius. From — 
Rome they were carried into Spain, and are now cultivated 
throughout Southern Europe. The Arabs call Pistachio nuts 
Fustuk, and consider them to be digestive, tonic and aphrodisiac ; 
they prepare a loch (-54) with them, which is known in French 
Pharmacy as Looch vert ou des pistaches. The outer husk of the — 
fruit is used in dyeing and tanning, and is imported into Bombay 
from Persia under the name of Post-i-pisteh. The galls which 
are produced on the leaves of the tree are terebinthinate and 
astringent, and are used in dyeing and tanning, and also as an 
- astringent medicine ; they are called Buzghanj in Persia, but 
are best known as Gul-i-pisteh in India. ‘The word Buzghanj 
appears to be derived from Biz, an old Persian name for a bee 
or fly or other buzzing insect, and Ghanj, a bag or sack. Tho 
_ Mahometans use Pistachio nuts in cookery and medicine. 
In India they are roasted in their shells in hot sand, and 
thrown into a hot paste of salt and water, and stirred so as to 
cause the salt to adhere to the shell, much as sugar does to 4 
burnt almond. They are hawked about the streets in large 
towns under the name of Khéra Pisteh (salted Pistachio nuts). 
The almonds are much used by sweetmeat makers. 
Description.—The galls when fresh are bright pink on 
one side and yellowish white on the other; they vary muchin — 
_ shapeand size, some being perfectly fig-shaped and others almost 
_ spherical, the majority are ovoid ; at one end a portion of leaf 
