Abstract
The author discusses the history of an unusual form ofPistacia lentiscus L. (referred to as var.chia (Desf. exPoiret) DC. on the basis of literature data and personal field observations on Chios island. As a result of incisions made on the trunk and stems the tree exudes a specific resinous gum called mastic. The production of mastic currently amounts to 160–170 tons per annum and plays an important role in the economy of the island constituting the main source of income for approx. 20 villages in the south of Chios. The history of mastic dates back 2500 years to the time ofHerodotus. The author points out that on the plantation only male individuals are cultivated; these have been selected over a long period based on mastic yield. As they represent a group of cultivated clones it would be preferable to consider them as a collective cultivar ‘Chia’.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boissier, E., 1872: Flora Orientalis. — Genevae et Basileae.
Chapman, E. P., 1949: Cyprus Trees and Shrubs. — Nicosia.
De Candolle, A. P., 1825: Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 2. Paris: Trenttel & Wurtz.
Desfontaines, R., 1804: Tableau de l'Ecole de Botanique du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. — Paris: Brosson, ed. 1.
Duhamel, DU, M., 1809: Traité des Arbres et Arbustes 4, ed. 2. — Paris.
Hehn, V., 1894: Kulturpflanzen und Hausthiere in ihrem Übergang aus Asien nach Griechenland und Italien sowie in das übrige Europa. — ed. 6. — Berlin.
Heldreich, Th. v., 1862: Die Nutzpflanzen Griechenlands. — Athen.
Holmboe, J., 1914: Studies on the vegetation of Cyprus. — Bergens Mus. Skr. Ny Raekke. Bind I. No. 2.
Manousakis, U., 1984: Der Kaugummi ist älter als die Zahnbürste. Schon die alten Griechen kauten Mastix. — Schweiz. Beiträge zur Dendrologie 34. Vaterland191, —.
Meikle, R. D., 1954: A survey of the flora of Chios. — Kew Bull.1954, 85–200.
—, 1977: Flora of Cyprus 1. — Kew: Bentham-Moxon Trust.
Pernot, H., 1981: The Chios Island. — Athens-Chios Diary Reprint. (The first original version “En pays turc. L'île de Chio parHubert Pernot, avec 17 melodies et 118 similigravures).
Rechinger, K. H., 1943: Flora Aegaea. — Denkschr Akad Wiss Math-Nat (Wien) 105: 1.
Tournefort, J. P., 1717: Relation d'un voyage an Levant 1, pp. 375–379. — Paris: L'Imprimerie Royale.
Yaltirik, F., 1967:Pistacia L. — InDavis, P. H., (Ed.): Flora of Turkey2, pp. 344–548. — Edinburgh: Univ. Press.
Zohary, M., 1952: A monographical study of the genusPistacia. — Pal. J. Bot. Jer. Ser.5, 187–228.
- 1972: Flora Palestina 2. — Jerusalem.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Browicz, K. Pistacia lentiscus cv. Chia (Anacardiaceae) on Chios island. Pl Syst Evol 155, 189–195 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00936298
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00936298