Pistacia lentiscus

Pistacia lentiscus (also lentisk or mastic) is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Pistacia native to the Mediterranean Basin. It grows up to 4 m (13 ft) tall and is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek island of Chios, around the Turkish town of Çeşme and northern parts of Iraq.

Description

A small evergreen shrub. It grows to about 1-3 m high and can spread to 3 m wide. It can be 7 m high. The leaves are 10 cm long and there are wings on the leaf stalk. The leaves are compound with several pairs (2-7) of leathery leaflets. There is no leaflet at the end. The flowers are at the tips of shoots. The male flowers are in dense panicles 3 cm long with red stamens. The female flowers are greenish and in 6 cm long loose panicles. The fruit are round and red. The fruit are 5 mm across and become black when they are ripe.

Edible Uses

The tree produces a sweet, liquorice-flavoured resin called mastic, obtained by making incisions into the bark — but not into the wood itself. It has an agreeable odour and a mild, resinous taste; when chewed it softens and becomes easy to masticate. It is used to strengthen the gums and sweeten the breath, and also as a flavouring in puddings, sweets (including Turkish delight), and cakes. It forms the basis of a Greek confectionery called masticha and a liqueur called mastiche. An edible oil is also obtained from the seed.

Traditional Uses

The nut inside the fruit is edible. They are eaten raw or roasted. The sap is used to flavour an alcoholic beverage. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. It is also used in puddings, cookies, cakes and candies. The gum is used for texture and binding but gives some flavour. It is chewed as a breath freshener. It is sweet and has a liquorice flavour. The seeds yield an edible oil. The young leaves and leaf buds are eaten. They can be eaten raw as a snack or in yoghurt salad.

Medicinal Uses

Mastic was once widely used in herbal medicine. Though little used in modern herbalism, it could be employed as an expectorant for bronchial complaints and coughs, and as a treatment for diarrhoea. The resin is analgesic, antitussive, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, odontalgic, sedative and stimulant. Mixed with other substances, it serves as a temporary filling for carious teeth. Internally it is used to treat diarrhoea in children; externally it is applied to boils, ulcers, ringworm and muscular stiffness.

Known Hazards

Small risk of diarrhoea in children. Avoid oral intake of essential oil.

Distribution

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It will grow on most soils. It likes a protected sunny position. It cannot grow in shade. It is drought and frost tender. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Where It Grows

Africa, Algeria, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canary Islands, Cyprus, Europe, France, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, North Africa, North America, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,

Cultivation

Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil, preferring a hot dry position in full sun. Prefers a well-drained to dry sandy or stony alkaline soil. This species is not very hardy in Britain. It normally requires the protection of a south-facing wall but can succeed in a hot dry position in the milder areas of the country. The mastic tree is cultivated in southern Europe for its resin. It is a very variable plant, a form with broad leaves yielding the best resin. It is likely to need long hot and dry summers in order to yield its resin, and so is unlikely to produce it very freely in Britain. Any pruning that needs to be done is best carried out in the spring. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 16 hours in alkalized water, or for 3–4 days in warm water, and sow in late winter in a cold frame or greenhouse. Two months of cold stratification may speed up germination, so sowing in early winter may be preferable. Germination is variable and can be slow. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on for at least their first winter under glass. Plant out into permanent positions in early summer, with some protection from winter cold advisable for the first year or two. Cuttings of half-ripe wood from juvenile trees can be taken in July and rooted in a frame. Layering is also possible.

Other Uses

Mastic resin is harvested by making incisions in the bark (not the trunk) from midsummer through autumn. It can be dried and powdered, or distilled for oil and essence. Uses include high-grade varnishes, fixatives in perfumes and toothpastes, glue (particularly for false beards), embalming, temporary tooth fillings, and sealing the edges of microscope mounts. It is also chewed to preserve the teeth and gums. Oil from the seed is used for lighting and soap making. The leaves contain up to 19% tannin and are often used as an adulterant of sumac, Rhus coriaria.

Production

It is slow growing. Mastic production can commence at 5-6 years and yield 1 kg per tree by 15 years old. They take 40-50 years to become well established. Production declines after 70 years. Trees can live for 200 years. When the bark is cut it yields a clear resinous substance which coagulates to give gum mastic. The "tears" of gum are 3-5 mm long.

Other Information

It is important on the Greek island of Chios. It is cultivated.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Aza, Lentisco, Lentisk, Masticha, Mastika, Matissa, Sarees, Shaashoub, Sinya, Sodopernata rujevina, Trslja

References (42)

• Ali-Shtayeh, M. S., et al, 2008, Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): A comparative study. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2008; 4: 13.
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 463
• Blamey, M and Grey-Wilson, C., 2005, Wild flowers of the Mediterranean. A & C Black London. p 127
• Blanco-Salas, J., et al, 2019, Wild Plants Potentially Used in Human Food in the Protected Area “Sierra Grande de Hornachos” of Extremadura (Spain). Sustainability 2019, 11, 456
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 805

More from Anacardiaceae

Rhus integrifolia

Lemonade berry, Sourberry

Rhus javanica

Nepalese sumac

Rhus lanceolata

Prairie sumac

Rhus microphylla

Desert sumach, Littleleaf sumach

Rhus mysorensis

Rhus ovata

Sugar bush, Sugar sumac