The information given is informative. In case of doubt, consult the doctor. "Botanical" is not responsible for damages caused by self-medication |
The information given is informative. In case of doubt, consult the doctor. "Botanical" is not responsible for damages caused by self-medication |
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| Common noun: Lentisc, mastic tree | ||
| Scientific noun: Pistacia Lentiscus L. | ||
| Family. Cashew family -Anacardiaceae. | ||
| Habitat: In woods by the side of the holm oak inland or with the carob tree and palmetto at the seaside. It doesn' t like cold places. | ||
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| Characteristics:
Perennial bush of the till 2 meters tall ( It is
not generally found so many big samples because of the fires or some other human
aggressions ) Leaves are formed with 3 to 6 pairs of elliptical coriaceous leaflets.
Male flowers without petals, female ones darker.The fruit is a drupe of about
8 mm, which being green at the beginning ,changes to red and becomes black in
ripening fruits. Those samples achieving tree dimensions produce in a natural way or when they are tapped a latex ,which is called mastic that has several properties, as we' ll se later. |
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| Properties: a)medicinal: Astringent: The infusion of leaves and tender stems is a good remedy to cure diarrhea. b)cookery: dental: Mastic is used by dentists to prepare dental cements. It was previously used as a chewing gum because it gave good scent to our breath and fortified our gums. c)industrial : mastic was used for the varnish industry. The isle of Quio is well- known in this Sense. A place whose economy depends upon that industrial product, the most part of it is obtained by the exploitation of a local variety of mastic tree (Pistacia Lentiscus Chia) |
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| . | Picking and storing: It is better to pick the tender stems and the leaves in Spring, but since we are talking about a perennial plant, one can collect its parts when necessary.
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