ALTINGIACEAE

(Sweet Gum family)

Members of this family, previously included in the Hamamelidaceae (Mabberley 1987), are anemophilous trees disjunctly distributed in Asia and North America. Until recently, three genera were recognised, namely Altingia Noronha, Liquidambar L., and Semiliquidambar H.T.Chang. However, Ickert-Bond & Wen (2006) concluded from their molecular phylogenetic studies that Altingiaceae are best treated as a single genus, with Liquidambar L. having nomenclatural priority over the two other generic names. Fifteen species are recognised (Ickert-Bond & Wen 2013).

They are strongly resiniferous trees, some of which yield valuable timber, and some of which are the sources of storax (or styrax), a fragrant gum-resin of value in the pharmaceutical, perfumery, and other industries.

Storax is produced by the trees as a pathological product in response to bark damage. Storax of commerce may originate from the following species:

Liquidambar excelsa (Noronha) Oken — yields Burmese storax, Rose-maloes

[syn. Altingia excelsa Noronha]

Liquidambar formosana Hance — yields Chinese storax

Liquidambar gracilipes (Hemsl.) Ickert-Bond & J.Wen — yields Tonkin storax

[syn. Altingia gracilipes Hemsl.]

Liquidambar orientalis Mill. — yields Levant or Anatolia storax

Liquidambar styraciflua L. — yields American or Honduras storax 

Liquidambar styraciflua L. is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree for its autumn leaf colouration. Its timber is widely used in the USA, but very little is exported to Europe (Hausen 1973). This species is also sometimes grown as a bonsai, an artificially stunted natural art form.

Storax obtained from members of this family may cause contact dermatitis, apparently as a result of its content of cinnamate esters and related aromatic compounds.

Liquidambar L.

Storax obtained from Liquidambar L. species is a gum-resin which contains cinnamic acid and its esters, styrene, and vanillin (Naves & Mazuyer 1947, Igolen 1973). It is a constituent of Compound Benzoin Tincture BPC and other pharmaceuticals used externally. When rubbed on the skin, storax may cause irritation and whealing (Greenberg & Lester 1954).

Fragrance material samples of styrax asiatic, styrax oil, and styrax USP Honduras did not evoke phototoxicity (Forbes et al. 1977).

Liquidambar acalycina H.T.Chang

Chang's Sweet Gum, Sweetgum

[Information available but not yet included in database]

Liquidambar formosana Hance

[syn. Liquidambar acerifolia Maxim.]

Beautiful Sweetgum, Chinese Sweet Gum, Formosan Sweetgum

Chinese storax, the gum resin known in Chinese as feng xiang zhi (枫香脂), which exudes from the incised trunk, resembles the exudates derived from other species of Liquidambar L. In a text on Chinese materia medica, Stuart (1911) noted that its medicinal action is that of a haemostatic, astringent, and anodyne. It is used in all sorts of wounds, skin affections, and ulcers. He noted also that the bark of the tree is used to prepare an astringent wash used for skin diseases.

Liquidambar orientalis Mill.

[syn. Liquidambar imberbis Aiton]

Oriental Sweetgum, Orientalischer Amberbaum

[Information available but not yet included in database]

Liquidambar styraciflua L.

[syn. Liquidambar macrophylla Oerst.]

American Sweet Gum, Red Gum, Star-Leaved Gum, Sweet Gum, Copalme d'Amérique

The timber from this species is known in the trade as liquidambar, amberwood, satin walnut, satinwood, American red gum, sweet gum, hazel pine, or bilsted. According to Woods & Calnan (1976), satin walnut was said to be irritant by Krais (1910), but Legge (1907) and Großmann (1920) considered that the wood had been confused with satinwood derived from Fagara L. species (fam. Rutaceae).

Nestler (1911) used an ether extract of American satin walnut (imported as East Indian satinwood) to test his own skin. The extract induced painful bulla formation after 5 hours contact. The bulla healed very slowly and left a thickened scar. The sawdust had no effect.

DERMATOLOGY

Storax is known to be allergenic and to cross react with gum benzoin derived from Styrax L. species (fam. Styracaceae), balsam of Peru (from Myroxylon balsamum Harms, fam. Leguminosae), rosin (from Pinus L. species, fam. Pinaceae), vanilla (from Vanilla Mill. species, fam. Orchidaceae), orange peel (from Citrus L. species, fam. Rutaceae), cinnamon bark (from Cinnamomum Schaeffer species, fam. Lauraceae), clove (from Syzygium aromaticum Merr. & L.M.Perry, fam. Myrtaceae) and other essential oils (Hjorth 1961, 1966a).

References

• Forbes PD, Urbach F, Davies RE (1977) Phototoxicity testing of fragrance raw materials. Food and Cosmetics Toxicology 15(1): 55-60 [doi] [url]
• Greenberg LA, Lester D (1954) Handbook of Cosmetic Materials. Their properties, uses, and toxic and dermatologic actions. With a bibliography of over 2,500 titles. New York: Interscience Publishers [doi] [WorldCat] [url] [url-2]
• Großmann J (1920) Gesundheitsschädliche Holzarten. Der Holzkäufer 17(100,101,102,103): 529-530, 535-536, 540-541, 545-546
• Hausen BM (1973) Holzarten mit Gesundheitsschädigenden Inhaltsstoffen. [Woods containing Substances Injurious to Health]. Stuttgart: DRW-Verlag [WorldCat]
• Hjorth N (1961) Eczematous Allergy to Balsams, Allied Perfumes and Favouring Agents. With special reference to balsam of Peru. Copenhagen: Munksgaard [WorldCat] [url]
• Hjorth N (1966a) Contact sensitivity to plants and balsams. In: Skog E (Ed.) The Sixth European Congress of Allergology. Symposium on Allergic Contact Eczema in Theory and Practice, September 1965, pp. 65-79. Stockholm, Sweden: Acta Dermato-Venereologica [WorldCat] [url] [url-2]
• Ickert-Bond SM, Wen J (2006) Phylogeny and biogeography of Altingiaceae: Evidence from combined analysis of five non-coding chloroplast regions. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39(2): 512-528 [doi] [url] [pmid]
• Ickert-Bond SM, Wen J (2013) A taxonomic synopsis of Altingiaceae with nine new combinations. PhytoKeys 31: 21-61 [doi] [url] [url-2] [pmid]
• Igolen G (1973) Styrax. Dragoco Report (11): 231-235.
• Krais P (1910) Gewerbliche Materialkunde. Vol. 1. Die Hölzer. Stuttgart: F Krais.
• Legge TM (1908) Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories and Workshops for the year 1907. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office
• Mabberley DJ (1987) The Plant-Book. A portable dictionary of the higher plants. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [WorldCat]
• Naves YR and Mazuyer G (1947) National Perfume Materials. New York: Reinhold.
• Nestler A (1911) Die hautreizende Wirkung des Amberholzes (Liquidambar styraciflua L.). [The skin-irritating effect of amberwood (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)]. Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft 29: 672-678 [url] [url-2]
• Stuart GA (1911) Chinese Materia Medica. Vegetable Kingdom. Extensively revised from Dr. F. Porter Smith's work. Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press [doi] [WorldCat] [url] [url-2]
• Woods B, Calnan CD (1976) Toxic woods. British Journal of Dermatology 95(Suppl 13): 1-97 [doi] [url] [url-2] [pmid]

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