The Bartrams' Florida

Notes from Michael Bond, botanist

Liquidambar styraciflua L.
Hamamelidaceae (Witch-Hazel family)

Sweet Gum, Red Gum - Generally found in south Florida, east to Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico, northward to Connecticut and southern Illinois.  Inhabiting mesic woodlands, wet swamps, and occasionally in standing water. A tree up to 40 m (or taller), with grayish to brown bark, and aromatic foliage.  Leaves usually 5-lobed (star shaped), with serrated edges.  Male and female flowers found on same plant; male flowers a pale green, female flowers yellowish green. Fruits are capsules in clusters, each forming 1 or 2 winged seeds.

           Storax is a balsam obtained from both Liquidambar styracifula L. (the American sp.) and Liquidambar orientalis Miller (Asia minor sp.). Sold commercially in many pharmaceutical products, they are used as stimulants, antiseptics and expectorants. The term storax comes from the Arabian word asisitirax, meaning a sweet smelling exudation (due to cinnamic acids.)  The name Liquidambar comes from the Latin liquidus meaning liquid and ambar from the Arabian meaning amber. The species name styracificula, means to flow storax.  The use of the Asia minor specie  Liquidambar orientalis Miller dates back to 12th century and is well documented by Arabian physicians.  The American variety Liquidambar styracificula L. was documented as early as the 16th century, and was cited frequently in  indigenous citations through the 19th century.   During the Civil war,  both the exudates as astringents and the leaves were reported being used by the Southern Confederate doctors to treat diarrhea and dysentery (apparently quite effectively.)   
     Oddly enough, though recognized by European settlers the plant did not start to appear in many American herbals until the late 19th and 20th centuries.  Today most commercial pharmaceutical grade storax comes from Turkey and Honduras, with America storax being used in cigarettes, candy, soda pop, and chewing gum as a flavoring agent.