 The Italian varietal panorama is rather limited and refers to the cultivars of the Sicilian germplasm: “Bianca” (synonym: Napoletana), “Femminella”, “Natalora” and “Agostana”. Bianca practically represents the only cultivated variety, the others have a mainly local diffusion.
Other cultivars of lesser interest are "Silvana", "Cerasola", "Cappuccia" and "Insolia", with overall carpological characteristics very similar to Bianca: medium-small fruit, elongated to oval shape, low percentage of dehiscence, green color of the cotyledons. A local green variety, grown in Western Sicily, of some interest due to its high dehiscence is "Gloria". The varietal panorama of male cultivars is even more restricted. Only recently has attention begun to be paid to the problem of the selection and evaluation of male genotypes of P. vera, while until a few years ago it was a common notion among farmers that the male terebinth constituted the natural pollinator of pistachio. From investigations conducted in numerous pistachio groves in the Etna area, it emerged that in some plants the male plants of P. vera do not exceed 1% of the total of those cultivated, while it is known that an optimal male/female ratio is 1 to 8. In Sicilian pistachio-growing areas, spontaneous male terebinths tend to flower significantly earlier than female plants of the "Bianca" cultivar, with negative consequences on pollination and, therefore, on fruiting. Furthermore, it is now established that terebinth pollen has a lower fertilizing capacity towards female pistachio flowers than towards male Pistacia vera. (Source Following Pistachio Footprints)
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The
green pistachio of Bronte could very well be the emblem of the city: its longevity and resistance, the tenacity to survive against all adversities, even to bear fruits although growing on arid lava rocks reflects, on the long run, many characteristics of the brontese people.
On average contains more than 20% of proteins, 50/60% of oil (68% of oleic acid, 17/19% of linseed oil, 12% of palm oil), and again sugars, particularly glucose, mineral salts (iron, calcium, phosphor, magnesium and potassium) and vitamins, in particular the forerunner of vitamin E.
