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VOLUME 6, ISSUE 11 | November 2019
From the Plant Answer Line: What do botanists call the tree that produces these flavorful turquoise seeds?
researched by Rebecca Alexander
photo of terebinth seeds by Miller Library staffQuestion: Can you tell me the botanical name of the tree that produces these oil-rich turquoise lentil-sized seeds? The trees grow in Amadiya, on a high plateau in Northern Iraq, near the border with Turkey. I grew up snacking on the seeds, and I know the Neo-Aramaic and Arabic name (butma or butum) for it, but not the scientific name.

Answer: The tree is a species of Pistacia, most likely Pistacia atlantica ssp. (subspecies) kurdica. There are various English common names for the tree, including terebinth, Persian turpentine tree, and Mount Atlas mastic tree. There is a documented population of this subspecies of Pistacia growing in the town of Amadiya, Iraq. (It does well on steep, dry slopes in high elevations.) These trees are often found growing in association with oak and walnut trees. (This document uses the synonym, Pistacia eurycarpa).

According to Avinoam Danin’s Plant Stories on Flora of Israel Online, only female trees of this dioecious tree produce fruits which are red when young, turning turquoise once successfully pollinated. "When the thin skin is removed the thin but hard brownish stone is reached. When the seed is opened, its green food reservoir is seen. In color it resembles the seed inside the pistachio nut. […] The common name in Arabic for three of the species known in our area is 'butum.' This name has preserved the ancient Talmudic name 'botnim' or 'botnah.' The scientific name Pistacia is also a derivative of a vernacular name [used in Iran]." Danin mentions that the fruits are gathered in fall, dried, and sold in spice shops in Israel. They are also pulverized and used to flavor special sweet cakes.

The tree has a long history in the Middle East, where it can be traced back to the Hebrew bible, and to stone steles describing Mesopotamian gardens and palaces. Some sources, such as this information from University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, say the fruit of Pistacia atlantica is not eaten "directly" (because it tastes of turpentine to some palates), but taste is subjective and varies in different cultures.

There are many medicinal and ethnobotanical uses of this plant’s fruit and resin.
Flora and Fauna of the West
Paintings & Prints by Molly Hashimoto
Birches, Alders & Vine Maples, North Cascades by Molly Hashimoto
We are thrilled to welcome nationally-known Seattle artist and teacher Molly Hashimoto for her 2019 exhibit at the Miller Library, opening this week. The library will be open late Thursday, November 7, from 5 to 7 pm, for an opening reception with the artist.

Molly's exhibit celebrates the special trees, plants and birds of the West, interpreted in paintings, block prints and etchings. Many of the bird prints appear in her 2019 book, Birds of the West: An Artist's Guide, available for borrowing from our Pacific Northwest Connections Collection.
Journal spotlight: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
reviewed by Brian Thompson
periodicals shelving featuring Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
One of the more popular periodical publications in the Miller Library is Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, a peer-reviewed, internationally-focused journal published 10 times per year. The publisher (Elsevier) describes the focus as “urban and peri-urban woody and non-woody vegetation and its use, planning, design, establishment and management.”
 
The editors accept submissions on a wide range of topics under the urban umbrella, including everything from the expected arboriculture and horticulture to urban planning and design, public health, and even environmental psychology. The intended audience includes academics but also policymakers and landscape professionals.
 
The current and upcoming issues demonstrate this breadth of topics. One report discusses stormwater infrastructure designs, showing that the preferences of professionals and laypeople are often quite different. Another article outlines the challenges of developing “an effective forest therapy program to manage academic stress in conservative societies,” using Malaysia as the model. Closer to home, researchers from the University of British Columbia study “urban green equity on the ground” using Portland (Oregon), Phoenix, and New York City as their models to compare.

Many of the articles are available to download from the journal’s website (linked from the Miller Library’s catalog entry); however, the library maintains a print collection dating from the release of volume 1 in 2002. Visit the library and browse through this impressive journal.
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Gardens and gardening in early modern England and Wales, 1560-1660 / Jill Francis.
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