שרף ושמן מלִבְנֶה רפואי

This article deals with substances/products extracted in the past from the officinal storax (Styrax officinalis) tree. Historical sources describe at length the extraction of resin from the tree for use in the manufacture of medicines, perfumes, and incense. Today, however, we are no longer familiar with how to extract and use this resin. In a field study we conducted in all the areas of Mediterranean vegetation in Israel where this tree grows, we witnessed the secretion of resin in response to drilling by insects into the lignin, as described in historical sources. This phenomenon was limited to large, old trees. The secretion is a liquid-like sap of a yellowish-brown color with a vanilla-like aroma. In addition, we produced oil from the tree’s fruit that is of good quality for lighting.