Anadolu Sığla Ağacı

Anatolian sweetgum tree (Liquidambar orientalis) is from the Altingiaceae family. It grows in limited areas in the Southern Aegean and Western Mediterranean regions of Turkey. Frankincense, known as “frankincense tree” in the local language, can grow up to 20 meters tall and resembles a plane tree in appearance. It can live up to 200-300 years.[1] There are groves along streams in the Marmaris and Datça regions, and on plains with high ground water around Köyceğiz and Fethiye. It is stated that the natural distribution areas in Köyceğiz have narrowed as they have turned into orange groves. New groves are being established in areas protected by the General Directorate of Forestry. Outside of Türkiye, it is found only on Rhodes Island. It grows in hot, humid and water-rich places with subtropical climate characteristics.

The Anatolian Sweetgum tree is a deciduous tree with a height of 30–35 m (98–115 ft) and a trunk up to 100 cm (39 in) in diameter. Unisexual flowers bloom from March to April. The fruits ripen in November-December and the seeds are dispersed by the wind. Anatolian sweetgum trees prefer an altitude of 0–400 m (0–1,312 ft), average annual precipitation of 1,000–1,200 mm (39–47 in), and average annual temperature of 18 °C (64 °F). The tree’s optimal growth is in rich, deep and moist soils such as swamps, river banks and coastal areas, but it can also grow on hillsides and dry soils.

Features

Shell

The bark is uncracked when young and cracked when old. The shells are grayish in color when young, turning grayish brown or brown as they age. The scent of its bark and wood is called “Frankincense”. He also gave his name to the Yoruk tribe called “Buhurcular”.

Exiles

Young shoots are first greenish, then reddish-brown and thin. The lenticels on the bare and shiny shoots are small and visible to the naked eye. Side buds are arranged spirally in multiple rows on the shoots and are more or less inclined to the shoot. The top bud is slightly larger than the side buds. The egg-shaped, ellipsoid and pointed-tipped buds are shiny and the edges of the scales are slightly ciliated, brown-littered and bare. The color of the scales is apple green-brown. It is aromatic when rubbed and has 3 transmission bundle marks on it.

Leaves

In leaves with five lobes and radial veins, each lobe is usually divided into secondary lobes. The number of lobes with blunt or pointed ends is rarely 3 or 7. The edges of the leaves are thin and regularly toothed. At the base of the leaf blade, where the main veins meet, bundles of hairs are stuck, and in some leaves, these hairs are almost non-existent. Their upper surface is completely bare and bright green. The stem of the leaf is thin and quite long. The male flowers are cluster-shaped and those on the upper axis of the buds are dense and stemless, while those on the lower part are more sparsely placed.

Flowers

The flowers are globe-shaped and adorned with small reddish flowers. When the flower matures, it turns into a spiny cone and turns greyish-green. When female flowers first form, they are green and later turn reddish. Their surfaces are slightly hairy, they remain inside the fruit without falling off, and they harden and gain a woody structure.

Fruits

The fruit sits at the end of a long stem, hanging downwards. When they mature, they harden, the capsules open and the seeds are shed. The seed, which has very small wings, is dark brown in color, flat, rounded at the base, and pointed at the tip. The seed coat is shiny, thin and hard.