Pistacia

Pistacia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae. It comprises several woody species native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, typically occupying arid and semi-arid habitats. Plants in the genus range from evergreen shrubs to small trees. Most species are dioecious, with separate male and female individuals; in cultivated pistachio (Pistacia vera) the female trees bear edible nuts only when pollinated by a male tree.

Two species are particularly notable for human use. Pistacia vera produces the pistachio nut, a globally cultivated edible seed. Pistacia lentiscus, the mastic tree, yields a resin known as mastic, used in chewing gum, traditional varnishes, and culinary and medicinal applications. Pistacia terebinthus also produces resin that has been used historically as turpentine and in perfumery. Several other species provide ornamental value or resinous products.

Pistacia species are distributed across the Mediterranean basin, western and central Asia, and North Africa. They are commonly grown in arid and drought-prone regions for nuts, resins, or landscape use. The fruits are drupes; in cultivated P. vera the edible portion is the seed inside the shell, while other species produce non-edible fruits. The genus is valued for its drought tolerance and versatility in both agricultural and ornamental contexts.