The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

frankincense Frankincense (also known as olibanum) is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus ''Boswellia'' in the family Burseraceae. The word is from Old French ('high-quality incense'). There are several species o ...

and

myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

family,

Burseraceae The Burseraceae are a moderate-sized family of 17-19 genera and about 540 species of flowering plants. The actual numbers differ according to the time period in which a given source is written describing this family. The Burseraceae are also know ...

. The genus contains approximately 190 species of

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s and

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s, which are distributed throughout the (sub-) tropical regions of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, the western Indian Ocean islands, the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

.Weeks, A. and Simpson, B.B. 2007. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Commiphora (Burseraceae) yields insight on the evolution and historical biogeography of an “impossible” genus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 42:62–79. The genus is drought-tolerant and common throughout the xerophytic scrub, seasonally dry tropical forests, and

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

s of these regions. The common name

refers to several species of the genus, from which aromatic resins are derived for various fragrance and medicinal uses by humans.

Description

Leaves in ''Commiphora'' are

pinnately compound Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

(or very rarely unifoliolate). Many species are armed with spines.

Bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

is often exfoliating, peeling in thin sheets to reveal colorful, sometimes

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...

, bark below.

Stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

s are frequently

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

, especially in species native to drier environments. Flowers are typically dioecious ( subdioecious) and

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s are

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

s, usually with a 2-locular

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

(one is abortive). In response to wounding, the stems of many species will exude aromatic

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on natu ...

Ecology and biogeography

''Commiphora'' can serve as a model genus for understanding plant evolution in the drier regions of the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

tropics, particularly in eastern continental Africa and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, where diversity in the genus is concentrated. The closely related sister genus to ''Commiphora'', ''

Bursera ''Bursera'' is a genus with about 100 described species of flowering shrubs and trees varying in size up to high. It is the type genus for Burseraceae. The trees are native (often for many species endemic) to the Americas, from the southern Uni ...

'', has been used as a model genus to study patterns of evolution in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

seasonally dry tropical forests.

Use by humans

Products from many species of ''Commiphora'' have been used for various purposes, sometimes as timber, building material, and natural fencing, but more often valued for the aromatic

s produced by several members of the genus. "

Myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

", the common name for these dried resins, is fragrant and has been used both as fragrance and for medicinal purposes (e.g.,

Balsam of Mecca Balm of Gilead was a rare perfume used medicinally, that was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, and named for the region of Gilead, where it was produced. The expression stems from William Tyndale's language in the King James Bible of 1611, and has c ...

, ''C. gileadensis''). Use of myrrh resin is frequent and pronounced throughout historical texts of cultural significance, including the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

Systematics and taxonomy

Recent studies using

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

data have confirmed the

monophyly In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic grou ...

of ''Commiphora''; however, this data suggests that previous classification of the genus into sections does not reflect monophyletic interspecific relationships.

Species

Species include: * ''

Commiphora africana ''Commiphora africana'', commonly called African myrrh, is a small deciduous tree belonging to the Burseraceae, a family akin to the Anacardiaceae, occurring widely over sub-Saharan Africa in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Eswatini, Eri ...

'' (A.Rich.) Engl. (syn. ''Heudelotia africana''), sometimes identified with ancient

bdellium Bdellium (also bdellion or false myrrh) is a semi-transparent oleo-gum resin extracted from ''Commiphora wightii'' plants of India, and from ''Commiphora africana'' trees growing in sub-saharan Africa. According to Pliny the best quality came fro ...

. Used indirectly by the

San bushmen The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are members of various Khoe languages, Khoe, Tuu languages, Tuu, or Kxʼa languages, Kxʼa-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures that are the Indigenous peoples of Africa, first cultures of Sout ...

to poison their arrow tips for hunting * '' Commiphora alaticaulis'' J.B.Gillett & Vollesen * ''

Commiphora angolensis ''Commiphora angolensis'', also known as sand commiphora or sand corkwood, is a shrub species in the genus ''Commiphora'' growing mainly in Angola and Namibia. The adults and larvae of '' Diamphidia nigroornata'' feed on ''C. angolensis''. The ...

'' Engl., also known as "sand commiphora", growing mainly in

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

and

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

* ''

Commiphora aprevalii ''Commiphora aprevalii'', known locally as the Vazaha tree, is a member of the Burseraceae family endemic to Madagascar. In Malagasy, "Vazaha" means stranger or foreigner; the name likens the characteristic peeling bark to the peeling skin of a ...

'' Guillaumin, endemic to

* ''

Commiphora boranensis The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout ...

'' Vollesen * ''

Commiphora caudata ''Commiphora caudata'', the hill mango or green commiphora, is the most abundant Asian species of ''Commiphora'' of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. It can be found in Southern India and Sri Lanka, usually grow ...

'' (Wight & Arn.) Engl. * ''

Commiphora ciliata The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout ...

'' Vollesen * ''

Commiphora confusa The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' Vollesen * ''

Commiphora corrugata The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' J.B.Gillett & Vollesen * '' Commiphora erosa'' Vollesen * ''

Commiphora gileadensis ''Commiphora gileadensis'', the Arabian balsam tree, is a shrub species in the genus ''Commiphora'' growing in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, southern Oman, Sudan and in southeast Egypt where it may have been introduced. Other common names for the plant i ...

'' (L.) C.Chr. (syn. ''Commiphora opobalsamum''), producing

balsam of Mecca Balm of Gilead was a rare perfume used medicinally, that was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, and named for the region of Gilead, where it was produced. The expression stems from William Tyndale's language in the King James Bible of 1611, and has c ...

. * '' Commiphora glandulosa'' Schinz * ''

Commiphora guidottii ''Commiphora guidottii'', commonly known as scented myrrh or bisabol, is a tree or shrub species that is native to the countries of Somalia and Ethiopia. Essential oil from its gum-resin has been researched for its use in topical treatment of wo ...

'' Chiov. ex Guid. (syn. ''Commiphora sessiliflora''), producing ''habak hadi'', known as

bisabol Opopanax is the commercial name of ''bisabol'' or ''bissabol'', the fragrant oleo- gum-resin of '' Commiphora guidottii''. It has been a major export article from Somalia since ancient times, and is called ''hebbakhade'', ''habaghadi'' or ''habak ...

, opoponax, scented or sweet myrrh. * '' Commiphora guillauminii'' H.Perrier * ''

Commiphora habessinica ''Commiphora habessinica'', sometimes known as Abyssinian myrrh or the ''Yemen myrrh'', is a plant native to northeast Africa and the Arabian peninsula, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Oman and Yemen. It was first describe ...

'' (O.Berg) Engl. * ''

Commiphora harveyi The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' (Engl.) Engl. * '' Commiphora humbertii'' H.Perrier * ''

Commiphora kataf ''Commiphora kataf'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Burseraceae, native to northeastern and eastern tropical Africa, and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. A relative of myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymol ...

'' (Forssk.) Engl.(syn. '' Commiphora holtziana'' Engl, '' Commiphora erythraea'' (Ehrenb.) Engl.), producing ''habak hagar'', known as sweet myrrh, sometimes sold as opoponax. * ''

Commiphora kua ''Commiphora kua'', sometimes known as Abyssinian myrrh or the Yemen myrrh, is a plant native to northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Oman and Yemen. It was first described as ''Balsam ...

'' ( R.Br. ex

Royle Royle is a surname. The surname may derive from Ryal, Northumberland, Ryal in Northumberland, England. People: * Amanda Royle (born 1962), English actress, second daughter of Derek Royle * Adrian Royle (born 1959), retired English long distance r ...

) Vollesen * ''

Commiphora leptophloeos The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' (Mart.) J.B.Gillett, the only species of ''Commiphora'' present in the Americas. * ''

Commiphora madagascariensis ''Commiphora madagascariensis'', with the common name Madagascar corkwood, is a flowering plant in the family Burseraceae. The species is native to Tanzania, introduced into India. Description This slender sometimes scandent shrub or tree (1� ...

'' Jacq. * '' Commiphora monoica'' Vollesen * ''

Commiphora mafaidoha The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' * ''

Commiphora mossambicensis The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' (Oliv.) Engl. * ''

Commiphora myrrha The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' (Nees) Engl. (syn. ''Commiphora molmol''), producing

. * ''

Commiphora saxicola ''Commiphora saxicola'', also known as rock corkwood, is a shrub species in the genus '' Commiphora'' endemic to, and protected in, Namibia. It grows on rock slopes and in gravel plains in an area reaching from the Kunene River south to Helmering ...

'' Engl., Rock corkwood, a shrub endemic to Namibia * '' Commiphora schimperi'' (O.Bergman) Engl. * ''

Commiphora simplicifolia The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' H.Perrier * ''

Commiphora sphaerocarpa The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' Chiov * ''

Commiphora stocksiana The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the ...

'' (Engl.) Engl., known in Pakistan as ''bayisa gugal'' * ''

Commiphora unilobata The genus of the myrrhs, ''Commiphora'', is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout ...

'' J.B.Gillett & Vollesen * '' Commiphora wightii'' (Arn.) Bhandari (syn. ''Commiphora mukul''), producing gum guggul, sometimes identified with ancient

Gallery

File:Commiphora simplicifolia 02.jpg, ''

'' File:Commiphora simplicifolia 01.jpg, ''Commiphora simplicifolia''

References

External links

Flora of Pakistan: ''Commiphora''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1648255 Burseraceae genera Dioecious plants