Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Atlantic Mastic tree, Atlantic Pistachia, Mt. Atlas Mastic tree, Persian Turpentine tree

Family

Anacardiaceae

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Atlantic Mastic tree
Atlantic Pistachia
Mt. Atlas Mastic tree
Persian Turpentine tree

Hebrew Name(s)

ela atlantit

אֵלָה אַטְלַנְטִית

Arabic Name(s)

butm atlasi بطم أطلسي

Life Form

Tree

Habitat

Mediterranean maquis and forest
Hard rock outcrops

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Pistacia atlantica Desf.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Dermatological	Eczema	Anti-inflammatory	Extract resin from flowering stem, mix + sulfur & spread over lesion.	Resin	Z
Dermatological	Hair loss	Hair restorer	Decoct leaves in water, cool, filter, mix filtrate + equal amount bees wax & boil over fire until gel forms; spread over shaved head x1/day.	Leaf	Z
Dermatological	Ringworm (Tinea )	Anti-fungal	Extract resin from flowering stem, mix + sulfur & spread over lesion.	Resin	Z
Dermatological	Skin inflammation	Anti-inflammatory	Crush leaves into fine powder, mix + olive oil & spread over skin.	Leaf	Z
Gastrointestinal	Abdominal pain & dysentery	Anti-Infective, Anti-diarrheal, Anti-spasmodic	Crush fruits into fine powder, mix + honey + few drops "ruh el-na'na" (alcoholic solution of Mentha sp.) & eat.	Fruit	Z
Men`s Health/ Sexuality	Increase virility	Aphrodisiac	Cook leaves & branch tips in water + myrtle (Myrtus communis) & drink.	Branch /twig, Leaf	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Reset badly mended bone fracture	Vulnerary	Cook branches in water in a closed pot + "feijan" (Ruta) + "maryameyeh" (Salvia fruticosa) + branches of "el-ghar" (Laurus sp.) + "saris" (Pistacia lentiscus) + "sarw" (Cupressus sp.). Place affected limb in steam for few minutes. When removed bone fracture can be tapped lightly & reset correctly.	Branch /twig, Leaf	Z
Respiratory	Relieve chest pain in asthma & bronchitis	Analgesic	Decoct crushed seeds & drink.	Seed	Z

Notes

Cautions

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.