Turpentine-tree, Pistachia nut and Majlich-tree; a genus of plants belonging to the dioecia class. The most remarkable species are, 1. The terebinthus, or pistachia-tree, which grows naturally in Arabia, Persia, and Syria, whence the nuts are annually brought to Europe. In those countries it grows to the height

(a) "Mumiai, or native Persian mummy. It proceeds from a hard rock in very small quantity. It is a bituminous juice, that transudes from the stony superficies of the hill, resembling in appearance coarse shoemakers wax, as well in its colour as in its density and ductility. While adherent to the rock it is less solid, but is formed by the warmth of the hands. It is easily united with oil, but repels water; it is quite void of smell, and very like in substance to the Egyptian mummy. When laid on burning coals, it has the smell of sulphur tempered a little with that of naphtha, not disagreeable. There are two kinds of this mummy; the one is valuable for its scarcity and great activity. The native place of the best mummy is far from the access of men, from habitations, and from springs of water, in the province of Daraab. It is found in a narrow cave, not above two fathoms deep, cut like a well out of the mass, at the foot of the rugged mountain Caucasus."—Kempfer. Amoen. Peruf.

This description agrees perfectly with the pissaphaltum or fossil mummy of Bua, differing only in the privation of smell, which it is difficult to imagine is totally wanting in the Persian mummy. height of 25 or 30 feet: the bark of the stem and old branches is of a dark rufset colour, but that of the young branches is of a light brown. These are garnished with winged leaves, composed sometimes of two, at other times of three, pair of lobes, terminated by an odd one; these lobes approach towards an oval shape, and their edges are turned backward; and these, when bruised, emit a smell similar to that of the shell of the nut. Some of these trees produce male and others female flowers, and some have both male and female on the same tree. The male flowers come out from the sides of the branches in loose bunches or catkins. They have no petals, but five small stamens crowned by large four-cornered stamens filled with farina; and when this is discharged, the flowers fall off. The female flowers come out in clusters from the sides of the branches: they have no petals, but a large oval germen supporting three reflexed styles, and are succeeded by oval nuts. 2. The lentiscus, or common mastic tree, grows naturally in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Being an evergreen, it has been preserved in this country in order to adorn the green-houses. In the countries where it is a native, it rises to the height of 18 or 20 feet, covered with a gray bark on the stem; but the branches, which are very numerous, are covered with a reddish brown bark, and are garnished with winged leaves, composed of three or four pair of small spear-shaped lobes, without an odd one at the end. 3. The orientalis, or true mastic tree of the Levant, from which the mastic is gathered, has been confounded by most botanical writers with the lentiscus, or common mastic tree, above described, though there are considerable differences between them. The bark of the tree is brown; the leaves are composed of two or three pair of spear-shaped lobes, terminated by an odd one; the outer lobes are the largest; the others gradually diminish, the innermost being the least. These turn of a brownish colour towards the autumn, when the plants are exposed to the open air; but if they are under glases, they keep green. The leaves continue all the year, but are not so thick as those of the common sort, nor are the plants so hardy.

Culture. The first species is propagated by its nuts, which should be planted in pots filled with light kitchen-garden earth, and plunged into a moderate hot-bed to bring up the plants; when these appear, they should have a large share of air admitted to them, and by degrees they should be exposed to the open air, which at last they will bear in all seasons, though not without great danger of being destroyed in severe winters. The second sort is commonly propagated by laying down the branches, though it may also be raised from the seed in the manner already directed for the pistachia-nut tree; and in this manner also may the true mastic-tree be raised. But this being more tender than any of the other sorts, requires to be constantly sheltered in winter, and to have a warm situation in summer.

Pistachia nuts are moderately large, containing a kernel of a pale greenish colour, covered with a reddish skin. They have a pleasant, sweet, unctuous taste, resembling that of almonds; and they abound with a sweet and well-tasted oil, which they yield in great abundance on being pressed after bruising them: they are reckoned amongst the analeptics, and are wholesome and nutritious, and are by some esteemed very proper to be prescribed by way of restoratives, eaten in small quantity, to people emaciated by long illness.