Editing Pistachio (section)

== Description ==
The tree grows up to {{convert|10|m|abbr=off|frac=2}} tall. It has [[deciduous]], [[pinnate]] leaves {{convert|10–20|cm|abbr=off|frac=2}} long. The plants are [[dioecious]], with separate male and female trees. The flowers are [[apetalous]] and [[unisexual]] and borne in [[panicle]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Considine |first=Douglas M. |title=Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia |last2=Considine |first2=Glenn D. |date=1995 |publisher=Springer US |isbn=978-1-4757-6918-0 |edition=8th |location=Boston, MA s.l |pages=556}}</ref>

[[File:860631-Pistachio-IMG 6862-2.jpg|alt=Pistachio, [[Torbat-e Heydarieh]], Razavi Khorasan, Iran|thumb|Pistachio]]

The fruit is a [[drupe]], containing an elongated [[seed]], which is the edible portion. The seed, commonly thought of as a nut, is a [[nut (food)|culinary nut]], not a [[nut (fruit)#Botanical definition|botanical nut]]. The fruit has a hard, cream-colored exterior shell. The seed has a mauve-colored skin and light green flesh, with a distinctive flavor. When the fruit ripens, the shell changes from green to an autumnal yellow/red and abruptly splits partly open. This is known as [[dehiscence (botany)|dehiscence]] and happens with an audible pop. Humans selected the trait of splitting open.<ref>[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.111.5856&rep=rep1&type=pdf#page=35 Towards a comprehensive documentation and use of Pistacia genetic diversity in Central and West Asia, North Africa and Europe], Report of the IPGRI Workshop, 14–17 December 1998, Irbid, Jordan – S.Padulosi and A. Hadj-Hassan, editors</ref> Commercial [[cultivars]] vary in how consistently they split open.

Each mature pistachio tree averages around {{convert|50|kg|abbr=off}} of seeds, or around 50,000 seeds, every two years.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nugent |first=Jeff |title=Permaculture Plants: A Selection |author2=Julia Boniface |date=30 March 2005 |publisher=Permanent Publications |isbn=978-1856230292 |page=41 |chapter=Pistachio Nuts |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40n-Z_8ihZMC&pg=PA41}}</ref>