Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Pistacia L. (Anacardiaceae)

Abstract

Pistacia is an economically important genus because it contains the pistachio crop, P. vera, which has edible seeds of considerable commercial importance whose value has increased over the last two decades reaching an annual value of about $2 billion (harvested crop). The taxonomic relationships among its species are controversial and not well under-stood due to the fact that they have no genetic barriers. The taxonomy of this genus is revised in detail through our re-search. It includes the following taxa: Pistacia atlantica Desf., P. chinensis Bunge subsp. chinensis, P. chinensis subsp. falcata (Bess. ex Martinelli) Rech. f., P. chinensis subsp. integerrima (J.L. Stew. ex Brandis) Rech. f., P. eurycarpa Yalt., P. khinjuk Stocks, P. lentiscus L. subsp. lentiscus, P. lentiscus subsp. emarginata (Engl.) AL-Saghir, P. mexicana Humb., Bonpl., & Kunth, P. X saportae Burnat, P. terebinthus L., P. vera L., and P. weinmannifolia Poiss. ex Franch. The genus is divided into two sections: section Pistacia and section Lentiscella. A key to the 14 taxa that have been recognized by this study is included. The new combination P. lentiscus subsp. emarginata (Engl.) AL-Saghir is made, and the names P. chinensis subsp. integerrima (J. L. Stew. ex Brandis) Rech. F., P. terebinthus L., and P. vera L. are lectotypified.