Styrax officinalis L.

Friar's balsam (en), Aliboufier (fr), Aliboufier officinal (fr), Styrax officinal (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Styracaceae > Styrax

Characteristics

A tree.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	shrub
Growth support	free-standing
Foliage retention	deciduous
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
Pollination	entomogamy
Spread	endozoochory
Mature width (meter)	1.5
Mature height (meter)	5.0
Root system	-
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
Blooming months	Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fruit color	-
Fruiting months	Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

Dry rocky slopes, often on limestone, to 1500 metres. Woods and thickets, also by streams.

More

It is a Mediterranean climate plant.

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

Usage

The gum from the stems and branches is occasionally used as a condiment. The flowers are used as jam.

Uses	environmental use gum material medicinal non-vertebrate poison vertebrate poison
Edible	flowers gums stems
Therapeutic use	Common cold (plant exudate), Expectorants (plant exudate)
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.

Mode	cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days)	30 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°)	12 - 18
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	stratification
Minimum temperature (C°)	-5
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-

Images

Habit

Leaf

Flower

Fruit

Distribution

Conservation status

Identifiers

LSID	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:327052-2
WFO ID	wfo-0000492654
COL ID	53C85
BDTFX ID	66503
INPN ID	125247
Wikipedia (EN)	Link
Wikipedia (FR)	Link

Synonyms

Styrax cotinifolius Styrax officinarum Styrax officinalis