Pistacia

taxobox
name = "Pistacia"

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image_caption = "Pistacia chinensis" with autumn colour
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Sapindales
familia = Anacardiaceae
genus = "Pistacia"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = 10, see text|

"Pistacia" is a genus of ten species in the family Anacardiaceae, native to the Canary Islands, northwest Africa, southern Europe, central and eastern Asia, and North America (Mexico, Texas). They are shrubs and small trees growing to 5-15 m tall. The leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, and can be either evergreen or deciduous depending on species. All species are dioecious.Fact|date=September 2008 The genus is estimated to be about 80 million years old. [cite journal |last=Parfitt |first=Dan E. |coauthors=Maria L. Badenes |year=1997 |month=July |title=Phylogeny of the genus "Pistacia" as determined from analysis of the chloroplast genome |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=94 |issue=15 |pages=7987–7992 |url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=21542 |accessdate=2008-06-17 |doi=10.1073/pnas.94.15.7987 |pmid=9223300]

Cultivation and uses

"Pistacia vera", a small tree, is grown for its edible seeds (see Pistachio). The seeds of the other species were also eaten in prehistory, but are too small to have commercial value today. Records of "Pistacia" from pre-classical archaeological sites, and mentions in pre-classical texts, always refer to one of these other species (often "P. terebinthus").Fact|date=September 2008

"Pistacia terebinthus", a native of the eastern Mediterranean countries, is tapped for turpentine (see Terebinth).

"Pistacia lentiscus", an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Mediterranean region, supplies a resin (see Mastic).

"Pistacia chinensis" is grown as an ornamental tree, valued for its bright red autumn leaf colour; it is also the most frost-tolerant species in the genus (see Chinese Pistache).

"Pistacia" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Emperor Moth.

Other species

*"Pistacia afghanistania"
*"Pistacia atlantica" - betoum
*"Pistacia khinjuk"
*"Pistacia mexicana" - Mexican pistache
*"Pistacia texana" - Texas pistache
*"Pistacia wienmannifolia"

References

External links