Styrax officinalis L. - Styracaceae - storax tree, Storaxbaum

Deciduous shrub or small tree, up to 7m high, native to the southeastern Europe and western Asia; leaves alternate, ovate; flowers white, fragrant.

„Linnaeus, who determined the scientific names of plants, thought that storax was extracted from the tree called in modern Hebrew livneh refu'i which he termed Styrax officinalis. However in the light of tests made in Israel it is very doubtful if a sap with medicinal or aromatic qualities can be extracted from this tree.“ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrax_balsam

„The essential oil composition of Styrax officinalis L. was investigated by GC and GC–MS for the first time. Oil yields were low, whichever organ was hydrodistilled. Leaf, stem and flower oils consisted of 42.2%, 41.2% and 48.7% of terpenoids, respectively. Among all the identified terpenoids, oxygenated monoterpenes were predominant in all the plant organs. The major compounds in the leaf essential oils were (E)-2-hexenal (17.6%), linalool (11.9%) and geranial (5.5%). Linalool was the major compound (26.4%) in the volatile flower oil, followed by tridecanal (9.8%) and dodecane (9.6%), while α-terpineol (17%) and eugenol (9.9%) were the main compounds in the stem essential oil.“
[Essential oil composition of leaf, flower and stem of Styrax (Styrax officinalis L.) from south‐eastern France. Tayoub, G., Schwob, I., Bessière, J. M., Rabier, J., Masotti, V., Mévy, J. P., Viano, J., Flavour and fragrance journal, Vol.21(5), 2006, 809-912]

styrax_officinale.jpg
Andrews H.C., The botanist’s repository, vol.10 t.631 (1810-1812)
http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=986523


Styrax officinalis flowers, Author: Stickpen, wikimedia commons PD