Pistacia lentiscus cv. Chia (Anacardiaceae) on Chios island

The author discusses the history of an unusual form ofPistacia lentiscus L. (referred to as var.chia (Desf. exPoiret) DC. on the basis of literature data and personal field observations on Chios island. As a result of incisions made on the trunk and stems the tree exudes a specific resinous gum called mastic. The production of mastic currently amounts to 160–170 tons per annum and plays an important role in the economy of the island constituting the main source of income for approx. 20 villages in the south of Chios. The history of mastic dates back 2500 years to the time ofHerodotus. The author points out that on the plantation only male individuals are cultivated; these have been selected over a long period based on mastic yield. As they represent a group of cultivated clones it would be preferable to consider them as a collective cultivar Chia.