WorldFloraDB - Pistacia aethiopica

Characteristics

Glabrous evergreen spreading tree 5–15 m. high or more, rarely a shrub, often multi-stemmed; bole up to 0.6 m. in diameter; bark brown-black; twigs and leaves turpentine-scented when crushed; sometimes with reddish crenate leaf-galls or ‘witches’ broom’ stem-galls up to 30 cm. long.. Leaves up to 10 cm. long, parinnate, with the lower leaflets subopposite to alternate, one of the terminal pair occasionally aborting thus making the leaf appear imparipinnate; rachis narrowly winged; leaflets (2–)3–9 pairs, usually 3–4 paired in the Flora area oblong to oblong-lanceolate or ovate, 1–5 cm. long, 0.5–1.5(–2) cm. broad, sessile, usually entire, apex obtuse to emarginate, base cuneate, coriaceous, conspicuously reddish when young.. Inflorescences compact spikes or racemes 1–5 cm. long.. Flowers yellowish or purplish; bracts ovate, ± 2 mm. long; bracteoles ± 5, 0.7–1 mm. long, sometimes ciliate.. Stamens 4–6.. Drupe obliquely globose, 4–5 mm. in diameter, apiculate, green turning red, with mango-like smell when crushed.. Fig. 7.

More

A shrub or small tree. It grows 15 m tall. The bark is dark brown. The leaves are compound with 2-5 pairs of leaflets. The leaves are alternate. The leaflets do not have stalks. The young leaves are red. The flowers are yellow or purple. The are in groups in the axils of leaves. These are 1-5 cm long. The fruit are green and turn red. They are 5 mm across.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	tree
Growth support	-
Foliage retention	evergreen
Sexuality	dioecy
Pollination	entomogamy
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	-
Mature height (meter)	10.0 - 15.0
Root system	-
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
Blooming months	-
Fruit color	-
Fruiting months	-
Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

Dry evergreen forest (often with Juniperus or Olea-Euclea) or associated bushland and wooded grassland; Buxus bushland; deciduous woodland with Combretum, Acacia, Barkeya on limestone, basalt or sandstone; at elevations from 900-2,550 metres.

More

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry mountain forest. In Tanzania it grows between 1,500-2,500 m above sea level.

Light	-
Soil humidity	-
Soil texture	-
Soil acidity	-
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

The gum is chewed. The bark is used for tea.

Uses	environmental use food fuel gum material medicinal social use tea wood
Edible	barks nuts roots seeds
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
Germination temperacture (C°)	-
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-