ABSTRACT
The Styrax genus consists of about 100 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. They are found in the warmer, moister parts of Asia and America, and one species is native to the Mediterranean region. Many species of this genus have some form of medicinal use. Styrax tonkinensis, a member of the Styracaceae family, is perhaps best known as the source of benzoin, a balsamic resin widely used in the fragrance industry. The collection and sale of benzoin resin from S. tonkinensis has been an important cottage industry among the highland people of northern Lao P.D.R. for more than a century. There, S. tonkinensis is used as a fallow plant in the traditional slash-and-burn cultivation cycle, following the harvest of agricultural crops. Although its wood has no commercial value in Laos, S. tonkinensis is recognized as a source of pulpwood in Vietnam.
