Pistacia atlantica

The Persian turpentine tree or Mount Atlas majestic tree is a member of the cashew or Anacardiaceae family. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous, spreading tree native to North Africa and Southern Europe, extending into Turkey, Iran and the Middle East. It can grow up to 7m tall.

• Leaves are pinnately compound, 7 to 11 pairs of leaflets, 5-10 cm long and 2 cm wide, medium course texture, turning yellow late fall or early winter color. Leaves appear in spring earlier that P. chinensis and are also smaller and thicker.
• The plant is dioecious; both male and female flowers are small and greenish and fall away quickly. Monoecious and hermaphrodite trees have been seen, but are unusual.
• Fruit is a small, round or oblong red drupe 6-8 mm long, ripening from July to October, turning blue when ripe and containing a single seed.