Article ID: CBB105041201

Storax, Benzoin, and the Chinese Anxi xiang (2019)

unapi

The Chinese term Anxi xiang 安息香 is now usually applied to benzoin, an aromatic resin obtained from species of the genus Styrax native to Southeast Asia. However, it appears from Chinese records that this aromatic originally was imported into China from western Asia. What this early Anxi xiang was has never been ascertained. It is here suggested that, like benzoin, it was produced from a species of Styrax, and was the storax of the ancient Mediterranean region. A complication is that storax was obtained from more than one plant source. Another issue is that a different substance, known to the Chinese as suhe 蘇合, has often been identified with storax. The available evidence is assessed and probable solutions are proposed.

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https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB105041201/

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Authors & Contributors
Ann‐Sophie Barwich
Matthew Rodriguez
Wyse Jackson, Peter
Van Lanen, Amanda
Hyde, Elizabeth
Guenther, Michael
Concepts
Trees
Botany
Cosmetics; perfumes
Economic botany; plant cultivation; horticulture
Science and culture
Natural history
Time Periods
19th century
20th century, early
20th century
18th century
Ancient
Early modern
Places
England
United States
North America
China
Great Britain
Washington (state, U.S.)
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