Pistacia atlantica
Atlas pistache
Virtually unknown in Western horticulture and entirely eclipsed by its more famous cousin P. chinensis, the Atlas terebinth nevertheless holds its own in some of the Bible’s most dramatic moments.
It was under the terebinth of Shechem where Jacob buried his entourage’s – and presumably Laban’s – idols. This was possibly the same terebinth at which Joshua later renewed the covenant with the tribes of Israel. Hebrew elah or alah, terebinth, is often mistranslated as “oak,” but that tree (most likely Mt. Tabor oak, Quercus ithaburensis) is more properly rendered from elon or allon. David vanquished Goliath in the Valley of Elah, where, indeed, elah grows to this day. David’s son Absalom was killed after getting ensnared in the crown of a terebinth when on his mule, while battling his own father’s forces. Absalom’s remarkably luxuriant head of hair may have been the culprit; certainly, that’s what countless paintings of the event have portrayed. Still, the wild terebinth’s branches can hang low and form a dreadful tangle.
Two large specimens in just such an unpruned state are at Frost Amphitheater. One, about 30 feet tall, stands on the slope near the intersection of pathways near the east side of the stage (map pin). Explore underneath (mind your head), and you will see its two substantial trunks, each over a foot across, with dark roughly checkered bark. Another of similar girth is on the outer side of the Frost embankment. See it on the right, behind the wall, as you walk south along the path at the northwest corner of Arrillaga Alumni Center (map pin). Both seem to be semi-evergreen, holding their yellowing leaves into early winter. The species appeared in a 1956 checklist of plantings at Frost; these are likely from that era. At least two other smaller ones grow within the amphitheater.
Atlas pistache is widely used as understock for pistachio nut, and is somewhat weedy in certain areas of California, including at Jasper Ridge, where several male and a female tree may be seen. One with striking vermilion fall color is on Lakeshore Drive, on the left, about 70 feet after you take the first left turn upon entering the Preserve (map pin). Its somewhat bluish, pinnately-compound, alternate leaves distinguish it from native trees and shrubs at Jasper Ridge. On campus, it can be confused with aptly-named Schinus terebinthifolia, but the latter has a terminal leaflet that is longer than the laterals, and has roughly toothed leaflet margins compared to the smooth margins of the Atlas pistache. Also, the Schinus is more leathery (it is evergreen) and its leaf midrib noticeably more winged.
Illustrations: Jasper Ridge photos.
About this Entry: Authored Dec 2024 by Sairus Patel.
