The
Pistacia species are vicarious
Anacardiaceae with few species outside the
Old World, and are mostly more adapted to water shortage and
alkaline soil. Many plant species are adapted to desert or summer drought typical of Mediterranean climate, so have a high tolerance to
saline soil. They grow well in water containing up to 0.3 to 0.4% of soluble salts. They are quite resilient in their ecological requirements, and can survive in temperatures ranging from −10 °C in winter to 45 °C in summer. They prefer places oriented toward the sun and well-drained soil, but grow well in the bottom of ravines. Though very hardy and
drought resistant,
Pistacia species grow slowly and only begin to bear fruit after about 7–10 years from planting, obtaining full development only after 15–20 years. The fruit ripens in the Mediterranean from August; only female trees have fruit. Although some species prefer moderate humidity, they do not grow well in high-humidity conditions. They are susceptible to root rot, molds, and fungi, and parasites attack if they receive too much water and the soil has insufficient drainage. They require a period of drought each year for proper development. Their leaves are intensely bright green and leathery, with three to nine leaflets. The leaves are alternate, compound, and paripinnate. The flowers are unisexual, apetalous, and grouped in clusters. The flowers range from purple to green. The fruit is a
drupe, generally unpalatable to humans, the size of a
pea, and red to brown in color, depending on the degree of maturation. The seeds do not have
endosperm. The seeds are eaten and dispersed by birds, for which they are a valuable resource because of the scarcity of food in some important times of year, as the time of breeding, migration, or the dry season. The commercial species of
pistachio has larger fruits and is edible. The plants emit a bitter, resinous, or medicative smell, which in some species is very intense and aromatic. Some species develop "galls" that occur in the leaves and leaflets after the bite of insects. Although marred by the presence of galls, they are very vigorous and resistant plants that survive in degraded areas where other species have been eliminated. They multiply by seeds,
stolons, and root shoots. Various species
hybridize easily between them, and hybrid plants are difficult to identify. Some tree species (e.g.
Pistacia aethiopica,
Pistacia atlantica) can exist as small bushes and shrubs due to the extremes of their habitat, adverse conditions, or the excessive consumption by wildlife or livestock that hinders growth.
Pistacia lentiscus is a very common plant related to
P. terebinthus with which it hybridizes.
P. terebinthus is more abundant in the mountains and inland in the Iberian Peninsula, and mastic is usually found more frequently in areas where the Mediterranean influence of the sea prevents or moderates frost. Some species with very small ranges cover only one or a group of islands in the Mediterranean.
P. terebinthus is also found on the east coast of the
Mediterranean,
Syria,
Lebanon, and
Israel, filling the same ecological niche of these species. On the west coast of the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, and the Middle East, it can be confused with
Pistacia atlantica.
Pistacia species are used as food plants by the
larvae (caterpillars) of some species of
Lepidoptera including the
emperor moth. ==Cultivation and uses==