pistachio

pistachio (pĭstăsh`ēō, pĭstä`shēō), tree or shrub (of the genus Pistacia) of the family Anacardiaceae (sumac family). The species that yields the pistachio nut of commerce is P. vera, native to SW Asia. It is now cultivated on a small scale in parts of the SW United States and in many of the warmer parts of Europe and Asia; the trade supply comes largely from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Italy, and Sicily. The "nut," a greenish seed, is eaten salted and is used in making confections. In Syria and some other countries it is more widely used and is traditional at weddings and on other occasions. A flavoring oil is derived from the nuts. Related species include the terebinth, or turpentine tree; the Chinese pistachio, P. chinensis, grown in Florida and California both for ornament and as grafting stock for P. vera; and the mastic (P. lentiscus). Pistachio is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Anacardiaceae.

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pistachio

Any of nine species of aromatic trees and shrubs, some ornamental, that make up the genus Pistacia of the sumac (or cashew) family, native to Eurasia, with one species in southwestern North America and another in the Canary Islands. Commercial pistachio nuts are seeds from the fruit of P. vera. They have a pleasing, mild, resinous flavour and are used extensively as food and for yellowish green colouring in confections. The tree bears leaves with thick, wide, leathery, featherlike leaflets and small fruit in clusters.