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Storax (; , stúrax), often commercially sold as styrax, is a natural fragrant resin isolated from the wounded bark of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. (Asia Minor) and Liquidambar styraciflua L. (Eastern US, Mexico, Central America) (Altingiaceae). It is distinct from Benzoin resin (also called "storax"), a similar resin obtained from the Styracaceae plant family.
Multiple rites call for storax in the Graeco-Egyptian Greek Magical Papyri.
Pliny ( Historia Naturalis 12.98, 15.26; 24.24) notes the use of storax as a perfume, while Scribonius Largus drank wine flavored with storax. Ciris mentions storax as a fragrant hair dye. Dioscorides ( De materia medica 1.79) reports its use as incense, similar to frankincense, having expectorant and soothing properties. Al-Masudi listed storax gum ( mayʿa) as a spice in his book Murūdj al-dhahab ( Meadows of Gold), published in the 10th century and Chao Ju-Kuan, a trade commissioner in Fujian province, said in the 13th century that liquid storax gum had come from the Arabs.
This species originated in the Southern regions of Mesopotamia, present day Iraq and in particular Babylon. Babylonians used it for respiratory related diseases. 8
In the nineteenth century, styrene by distilling storax balm.
In North Africa, for mystical purposes, women burn benzoin and storax in potsherds.
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