Pistacia aethiopica

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 15 m tall. The bark is dark brown. The leaves are compound with 2-5 pairs of leaflets. The leaves are alternate. The leaflets do not have stalks. The young leaves are red. The flowers are yellow or purple. The are in groups in the axils of leaves. These are 1-5 cm long. The fruit are green and turn red. They are 5 mm across.

There are 20 Pistacia species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry mountain forest. In Tanzania it grows between 1,500-2,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda

How it is used for food

The gum is chewed. The bark is used for tea.

Edible parts

Bark - tea, seeds, root, nuts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds.

The gum is collected during the dry season. The gum can be stored for several months.

Its other names

Local names

Ol daangudwa

Synonyms

Pistacia lentiscus var. emarginata Engl.;