THE PISTACHIO-NUT TREE. 



Pistacia vera Lin. ANACARDIACEAE. 



Maltese pistaccia. Italian = pistacchio. French = pistachitr. 



The Pistachio-nut tree is native of Syria, Asia 

 Minor, Persia and Cyprus, and is now grown extensively 

 in Sicily where it was introduced presumably by the 

 Arabs, and is also largely cultivated in Asfa minor and 

 Syria. It is a deciduous tree, 4 to 5 metres high, with 

 imparipimiate alternate leaves of 3 to 7 large broad oval 

 leaflets, smooth and dull green in colour. The tree is 

 dioecious; the male tree produces the small .greenish 

 flowers in small clusters or panicles from the side buds, 

 the panicles of flowers of the female tree being much 

 larger and more branched. The fruit (pistachio- nut) is 

 i \ to 2^ c.m. long, oval, rather angular and pointed at 

 the extremity, greenish white, generally with a crimson 

 flush on one side at maturity, just before drying. The 

 kernel is of a bright green colour, wrapped in a reddish 

 or crimson membrane, and enclosed in a white thin shell 

 of bony consistence. The kernel has a pleasant taste 

 and is largely used in high class confectionery, the 

 pistachio-nuts always commanding very good prices. 



The tree thrives in well drained and dry soils of 

 whatever nature, but requires a warm and sunny situation 

 preferably exposed to the south or south-east. The 

 rocky sides of cliffs exposed to the south or south-east, 

 with many fissures and pockets of earth, are the ideal 

 home of the pistachio- tree, but it will thrive satisfac- 

 torily anywhere provided that the soil is well dry and 

 well drained, and therefore not liable at any time to 

 harbour stagnant humidity which is absolutely fatal to 

 the tree. 



The pistachio-nut tree is long lived, and in favourable 

 situations is well productive, but the production is some- 

 times irregular owing to defective fertilization, an 



