Genus PISTACIA, Linn. 
Anacardiacese. 
Syst. Nat. 
Synonymes, 
Pistacia, Terebinthus, 
Dioecia Pentandria. 
Syst. Lin. 
Of Authors. 
Derivations. The word Pistacia, is derived from the Greek pistakia, or, according to some, from the Arabic foustaq, the 
name of the true pistachio. Terebinthus is derived from the Greek terebintnos, the name of the Turpentine-tree. 
Generic 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 nnthers. In female plants, the flowers are disposed in a raceme, less closely than 
in the male ; the caiyx 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-celled, though some- 
times it shows two abortive cells at the side ; the cell contains a single seed, which is affixed to the 
bottom. The cotyledons of the seeds are thick, fleshy, and oily, and bent back upon the radicij. The 
species are trees with pinnate leaves. De 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 lentiscus, 
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. 
