Δέντρο της χρονιάς - Tree of the year 2018

Γ.Τ.Π./P.I.O. 128/2017 – 5.000 Εκδόθηκε από το Γραφείο Τύπου και Πληροφοριών Published by the Press and Information Office Εκτύπωση: Τυπογραφείο Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας Printed by the Government Printing Office Styrax officinalis , commonly called storax or snowbell bush, is a deciduous shrub or small tree, 2-6 m high, with sub-spherical crown and a smooth, grey bark. The leaves are alternate, simple, entire, broadly ovate to sub-orbicular, 3-5 x-5 cm, dull green and sparsely hairy above, densely pubescent below, petiole 2-7mm. Flowers in terminal, lax, 2-7 flowered racemes, white, fragrant, corolla shortly tubed. It flowers from March to June. Fruit a globose drupe 1-1.5 cm across, with a fleshy pericarp and 1-2 brown, glossy, stony seeds, ripening from August to November. It is indigenous in Cyprus, common locally in many areas like Akamas, Laona villages, Lysos, Agios Neofytos, Panagia, Salamiou, Pafos forest, Troodos and Adelfoi forests, Lemesos forest, Machairas and Stavrovouni forests, the Pentadaktylos mountain range and Karpasia from sea level up to 1300m altitude. Widespread in the Mediterranean from France eastwards to Palestine. A very ornamental shrub that has not been much used in Cyprus. Its wood is heavy and was in the past widely used by villagers to make sticks. The pulp of smashed fruits, known locally as “tsounna”, has been used as a narcotic substance for trapping eels in the streams of Marathasa, Livadi and elsewhere. It was also used to kill hair lice. By crushing the bark a resinous substancewas collected andused to scent clothing. The resin of storax is mentioned by Dioscorides. Propagated easily by seed.