View source for Styrax

{{Short description|Genus of plants}}
{{Other uses}}
{{For|Pamphilia, the speaker of Lady Mary Wroth's sonnet sequence|Pamphilia to Amphilanthus}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Pamphilia|Pamphylia}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Styrax platanifolius.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Styrax platanifolius]]''
|taxon = Styrax
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = About 130, see text
|synonyms = ''Pamphilia'' <small>Mart. ex A. DC.{{Verify source|date=December 2007}}</small>
}}

'''''Styrax'''''<!-- <ref>[[Etymology]]: [[Ancient Greek]] ''styrax'' (στυραξ), the spike at the butt-end of a spear such as a [[xyston]] or a [[sarissa]].</ref> [are these thorny or spiny?] --> (common names '''storax''' or '''snowbell'''<ref>{{PLANTS|id=STYRA|taxon=Styrax|access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref>) is a [[genus]] of about 130 [[species]] of large [[shrub]]s or small [[tree]]s in the [[family (biology)|family]] Styracaceae, mostly [[native plant|native]] to warm [[temperateness|temperate]] to [[tropical]] regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority in eastern and southeastern Asia, but also crossing the equator in South America.<ref name=fritsch>Fritsch ''et al.'' (2001)</ref> The resin obtained from the tree is called [[Benzoin (resin)|benzoin]] or storax (not to be confused with the ''[[Liquidambar]]'' [[storax balsam]]), often used as a vanilla-like component in perfumery.

The genus ''Pamphilia'', sometimes regarded as distinct, is now included within ''Styrax'' based on analysis of [[morphology (biology)|morphological]] and [[DNA sequence]] data.<ref>Wallnöfer (1997), Fritsch ''et al.'' (2001)</ref> The [[Lindera benzoin|spicebush]] (''Lindera benzoin'') is a different plant, in the family [[Lauraceae]].

Styrax trees grow to 2–14&nbsp;m tall, and have alternate, [[deciduous]] or [[evergreen]] simple ovate [[leaf|leaves]] 1–18&nbsp;cm long and 2–10&nbsp;cm broad. The [[flower]]s are pendulous, with a white 5–10-lobed [[corolla (flower)|corolla]], produced 3–30 together on open or dense [[panicle]]s 5–25&nbsp;cm long. The [[fruit]] is an oblong dry [[drupe]], smooth and lacking ribs or narrow wings, unlike the fruit of the related snowdrop trees (''[[Halesia]]'') and epaulette trees (''[[Pterostyrax]]'').

==Uses==

===Uses of resin===
[[Benzoin resin]], a dried exudation from pierced [[bark (botany)|bark]], is currently produced from various ''Styrax'' species native to [[Sumatra]], [[Java (island)|Java]], and [[Thailand]]. Commonly traded are the resins of ''S. tonkinensis'' (Siam benzoin), ''[[Styrax benzoin|S. benzoin]]'' (Sumatra benzoin), and ''S. benzoides''. The name ''benzoin'' is probably derived from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''lubān jāwī'' (لبان جاوي, "Javan [[frankincense]]); compare the obsolete terms ''gum benjamin'' and ''benjoin''. This incidentally shows that the Arabs were aware of the origin of these resins, and that by the late [[Middle Ages]] at latest international trade in them was probably of major importance.

The chemical [[Benzoin (organic compound)|benzoin]] (2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetophenone), despite the apparent similarity of the name, is not contained in benzoin resin in measurable quantities. However, benzoin resin does contain small amounts of the [[hydrocarbon]] [[styrene]], named however for Levant storax (from ''[[Liquidambar orientalis]]),'' from which it was first isolated, and not for the genus ''Styrax'' itself;  industrially produced styrene is now used to produce [[polystyrene]] [[plastic]]s, including [[Styrofoam]].

====History of sources====
[[Image:Styrax officinalis.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Styrax officinalis]]'' resin was mainly used in antiquity]]
Since [[ancient history|Antiquity]], storax resin has been used in [[perfume]]s, certain types of [[incense]], and [[medicine]]s.

There is some degree of uncertainty as to exactly what resin old sources refer to. [[Liquidambar orientalis|Turkish sweetgum]] (''Liquidambar orientalis'') is a quite unrelated tree in the family [[Altingiaceae]] that produces a similar resin traded in modern times as ''[[storax]]'' or as ''Levant storax'',  like the resins of other [[Liquidambar|sweetgums]], and a number of confusing variations thereupon. Turkish sweetgum is a [[Relict (biology)|relict]] species that occurs only in a small area in SW [[Turkey]] (and not in the [[Levant]] at all); presumably, quite some of the "storax resin" of the [[Ancient Greek]] and the [[Ancient Roman]] sources was from this sweetgum, rather than a ''Styrax,'' although at least during the former era genuine ''Styrax'' resin, probably from ''[[Styrax officinalis|S. officinalis]],'' was imported in quantity from the [[Near East]] by [[Phoenicia]]n merchants, and [[Herodotus of Halicarnassus]] in the 5th century BC indicates that different kinds of storax were traded.<ref>Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c.440 BC) III.107.2</ref>

The ''nataf'' (נטף) of the incense sacred to [[Yahweh]], mentioned in the [[Book of Exodus]], is loosely translated by the [[Greek language|Greek]] term ''[[Stacte|staktē]]'' (στακτή, [[Amplified Bible|AMP]]: {{bibleverse||Exodus|30:34|45}}), or an unspecific "gum resin" or similar term ([[New International Version|NIV]]: {{bibleverse||Exodus|30:34|31}}). ''Nataf'' may have meant the resin of ''Styrax officinalis'' or of some other plant, perhaps Turkish sweetgum, which is unlikely to have been imported in quantity into the [[Near East]].

Since the [[Middle Ages]], Southeast Asian benzoin resins became increasingly available; today there is little international trade in ''S. officinalis'' resin and little production of Turkish sweetgum resin due to that species' decline in numbers.

====Use as incense====
Storax incense is used in the [[Middle East]] and adjacent regions as an [[air freshener]]. This was adopted in the European ''[[Papier d'Arménie]]''. Storax resin from southern [[Arabia]]n species was burned during [[frankincense]] (''[[Boswellia]]'' resin) harvesting; it was said to drive away snakes:
<blockquote>"[The Arabians] gather frankincense by burning that ''storax'' which Phoenicians carry to Hellas; they burn this and so get the frankincense; for the spice-bearing trees are guarded by small winged snakes of varied color, many around each tree; these are the snakes that attack Egypt.<ref>Although Herodotus saw bones of many of "these [...] snakes", their having wings is hearsay information and either incorrect or refers to some kind of [[Agama (lizard)|agama]] with neck or body ornaments. See Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c.440 BC) II.75.1-4.</ref> Nothing except the smoke of ''storax'' will drive them away from the trees."<ref>Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c.440 BC) III.107.2: <blockquote>''ton men ge libanôton sullegousi tên '''sturaka''' thumiôntes, tên es Hellênas Phoinikes exagousi: tautên thumiôntes lambanousi: ta gar dendrea tauta ta libanôtophora ophies hupopteroi, mikroi ta megathea, poikiloi ta eidea, phulassousi plêtheï polloi peri dendron hekaston, houtoi hoi per ep' Aigupton epistrateuontai, oudeni de allôi apelaunontai apo tôn dendreôn ê tês '''sturakos''' tôi kapnôi.''</blockquote></ref></blockquote>

[[Image:Styrax benzoin - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-133.jpg|thumb|right|Gum benjamin (''[[Styrax benzoin]]'') parts drawing.<br/>[[Franz Eugen Köhler]]: ''[[Köhler's Medicinal Plants|Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen, etc.]]'' (1887)]]

====Medical uses====
There has been little dedicated research into the medical properties of storax resin, but it has been used for long, and apparently with favorable results. It was important in [[Islamic medicine]]; [[Avicenna]] (Ibn Sina, ابن سینا) discusses ''[[Styrax officinalis|S. officinalis]]'' it in his ''Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb'' (القانون في الطب, ''[[The Law of Medicine]]''). He indicates that storax resin mixed with other antibiotic substances and hardening material gives a good [[dental restorative material]]. Benzoin resin is a component of the "Theriaca Andromachi Senioris", a [[Venice treacle]] recipe in the 1686 ''d'Amsterdammer Apotheek''.

[[Tincture of benzoin]] is benzoin resin dissolved in [[ethanol|alcohol]]. This and its numerous derived versions like ''lait virginal'' and friar's balsam were highly esteemed in 19th-century European [[cosmetics]] and other household purposes; they apparently had [[antibacterial]] properties.  Today tincture of benzoin is most often used in [[first aid]] for small injuries, as it acts as a [[disinfectant]] and local [[anesthetic]] and seems to promote healing.  Benzoin resin and its derivatives are also used as [[List of additives in cigarettes|additives in cigarettes]].

The antibiotic activity of benzoin resin seems mostly due to its abundant [[benzoic acid]] and benzoic acid [[ester]]s, which were named after the resin; other less well known [[secondary compound]]s such as lignans like [[pinoresinol]] are likely significant too.<ref>Pastrorova ''et al.'' (1997)</ref>

===Horticultural uses===
[[Image:Styrax japonica1.JPG|thumb|right|Early summer blossoms of ''[[Styrax japonicus]]'']]
Several species of storax are popular [[ornamental tree]]s in parks and gardens, especially ''S. japonicus'' and its cultivars such as 'Emerald Pagoda', and ''[[Styrax obassia]]''.

===Uses of wood===
The wood of larger species is suitable for fine handicrafts. That of ''egonoki'' (エゴノキ, ''S. japonicus'') is used to build ''[[kokyū]]'' (胡弓), the [[Japan]]ese [[bowed instrument]].

==Ecology and conservation==
The resin of ''Styrax'' acts to kill wound [[plant pathogen|pathogen]]s and deter [[herbivores]]. Consequently, for example, few [[Lepidoptera]] [[caterpillar]]s eat storax compared to other plants. Those of the [[two-barred flasher]] (''Astraptes fulgerator'') were recorded on ''S. argenteus'', but they do not seem to use it on a regular basis.<ref>Hébert ''et al.'' (2004), Brower ''et al.'' (2006)</ref>

Some storax species have declined in numbers due to unsustainable logging and [[habitat degradation]].  While most of these are classified as [[vulnerable species|vulnerable]] (VU) by the [[IUCN]], only four trees of the nearly [[extinct]] ''[[palo de jazmin]]'' (''S. portoricensis'') are known to survive at a single location. Although legally protected, this species could be wiped out by a single [[hurricane]].

==Selected species==
[[Image:Styrax camporum Pohl136.png|thumb|right|''[[Styrax camporum]]'' parts drawing.<br/>[[Johann Baptist Emanuel Pohl]]: ''Plantarum Brasiliae icones et descriptiones hactenus ineditae'' Vol. 1. (1827)]]
[[Image:Styrax obassia flowers 002.JPG|thumb|right|''[[Styrax obassia]]'']]
{{div col}}
* ''[[Styrax agrestis]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax americanus]]'' – SE USA
* ''[[Styrax argenteus]]'' – N & S America
* ''[[Styrax argentifolius]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax bashanensis]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax benzoides]]'' – Thailand, S China
* ''[[Styrax benzoin]]'' – Sumatra
* ''[[Styrax calvescens]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax camporum]]''  – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
* ''[[Styrax chinensis]]'' – China
*''[[Styrax chrysocalyx]]''  – Brazil
* ''[[Styrax chrysocarpus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax confusus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax cordatus]]'' – Peru and Ecuador
* ''[[Styrax crotonoides]]'' – Malaysia
* ''[[Styrax dasyanthus]]'' – central China
* ''[[Styrax faberi]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax ferrugineus]]'' – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
* ''[[Styrax formosanus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax foveolaria]]'' – Peru and Ecuador
* ''[[Styrax fraserensis]]'' – Malaysia
* ''[[Styrax grandiflorus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax grandifolius]]'' – SE USA
* ''[[Styrax hainanensis]]'' – S China
* ''[[Styrax hemsleyanus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax hookeri]]'' – Himalaya
* ''[[Styrax huanus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax jaliscana]]'' – Mexico
* ''[[Styrax japonicus]]'' – Japan
* ''[[Styrax limpritchii]]'' – SW China (Yunnan)
* ''[[Styrax litseoides]]'' – Vietnam
* ''[[Styrax macranthus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax macrocarpus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax martii]]'' – Brazil
* ''[[Styrax obassia]]'' – Japan, China
* ''[[Styrax odoratissimus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax officinalis]]'' – SE Europe, SW Asia
* ''[[Styrax pentlandianus]]'' – Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia
* ''[[Styrax perkinsiae]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax peruvianus]]'' – Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
* ''[[Styrax philadelphoides]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax platanifolius]]'' – Texas, NE Mexico
* ''[[Styrax pohlii]]'' – Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia
* ''[[Styrax portoricensis]]'' – Puerto Rico
* ''[[Styrax redivivus]]'' – California
* ''[[Styrax roseus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax rugosus]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax schweliense]]'' – W China
* ''[[Styrax serrulatus]]'' – Himalaya, SW China
* ''[[Styrax shiraianum]]'' – Japan
* ''[[Styrax suberifolius]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax supaii]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax tomentosus]]'' – Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
* ''[[Styrax tonkinensis]]'' – SE Asia
* ''[[Styrax veitchiorum]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax vilcabambae]]'' – Peru
* ''[[Styrax wilsonii]]'' – W China
* ''[[Styrax wuyuanensis]]'' – China
* ''[[Styrax zhejiangensis]]'' – China
{{div col end}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Commons category}}
* {{aut|Brower, Andrew V.Z.}} (2006): Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: 'ten species' of ''Astraptes fulgerator'' reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). ''Systematics and Biodiversity'' '''4'''(2): 127–132. {{doi|10.1017/S147720000500191X}}
* {{aut|Fritsch, P.W.; Morton, C.M.; Chen, T. & Meldrum, C.}} (2001). Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Styracaceae. ''[[International Journal of Plant Sciences|Int. J Plant Sci.]]'' '''162'''(6, Supplement): S95–S116. {{doi|10.1086/323418}}
* {{aut|[[Herodotus of Halicarnassus]]}} (c.440 BC): ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|The Histories]]''. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126 Annotated HTML fulltext] of 1921 [[A. D. Godley]] translation.
* {{aut|Pastrorova, I.; de Koster, C.G. & Boom, J.J.}} (1997): Analytical Study of Free and Ester Bound Benzoic and Cinnamic Acids of Gum Benzoin Resins by GC-MS and HPLC-frit FAB-MS. ''[[Phytochemical Analysis|Phytochem. Anal.]]'' '''8'''(2): 63–73. {{doi|10.1002/(SICI)1099-1565(199703)8:2<63::AID-PCA337>3.0.CO;2-Y}}
* {{aut|[[Paul D. N. Hebert|Hébert, Paul D.N.]]; Penton, Erin H.; Burns, John M.; Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie}} (2004): Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the semitropical skipper butterfly ''Astraptes fulgerator''. ''[[PNAS]]'' '''101'''(41): 14812–14817. {{doi|10.1073/pnas.0406166101}} [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/101/41/14812.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0406166101/DC1 Supporting Appendices]
* {{aut|Wallnöfer, B.}} (1997). A revision of ''Styrax'' L. section ''Pamphilia'' (Mart. ex A. DC.) B. Walln. (Styracaceae). ''Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien'' '''99B''': 681–720.

{{Taxonbar|from=Q525062}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Styrax| ]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Ericales genera]]