Commiphora

Commiphora
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 (sub-) tropical regions of Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and South America. The genus is drought-tolerant and common throughout the xerophytic scrub, seasonally dry tropical forests, and woodlands of these regions.
The common name myrrh 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 (or very rarely unifoliolate). Many species are armed with spines. Bark is often exfoliating, peeling in thin sheets to reveal colorful, sometimes photosynthetic, bark below. Stems are frequently succulent, especially in species native to drier environments. Flowers are typically dioecious (subdioecious) and fruits are drupes, usually with a 2-locular ovary (one is abortive). In response to wounding, the stems of many species will exude aromatic resins.
Ecology and biogeography
Commiphora can serve as a model genus for understanding plant evolution in the drier regions of the Old World tropics, particularly in eastern continental Africa and Madagascar, where diversity in the genus is concentrated. The closely related sister genus to Commiphora, Bursera, has been used as a model genus to study patterns of evolution in the New World 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 resins produced by several members of the genus. "Myrrh", 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, C. gileadensis). Use of myrrh resin is frequent and pronounced throughout historical texts of cultural significance, including the Bible.
Systematics and taxonomy
Recent studies using DNA sequence data have confirmed the monophyly of Commiphora; however, this data suggests that previous classification of the genus into sections does not reflect monophyletic interspecific relationships.
Species
181 species are accepted:
Commiphora acuminata
Commiphora africana (A.Rich.) Engl. (syn. Heudelotia africana), sometimes identified with ancient bdellium. Used indirectly by the San bushmen to poison their arrow tips for hunting
Commiphora alata
Commiphora alaticaulis J.B.Gillett & Vollesen
Commiphora anacardiifolia
Commiphora andranovoryensis
Commiphora angolensis Engl., also known as "sand commiphora", growing mainly in Angola and Namibia
Commiphora angustifoliolata
Commiphora ankaranensis
Commiphora antunesii
Commiphora aprevalii Guillaumin, endemic to Madagascar
Commiphora arafy
Commiphora arenaria
Commiphora baluensis
Commiphora benguelensis
Commiphora berardellii
Commiphora berryi
Commiphora boranensis Vollesen
Commiphora brevicalyx
Commiphora buruxa
Commiphora caerulea
Commiphora campestris
Commiphora capensis
Commiphora capuronii
Commiphora caudata (Wight & Arn.) Engl.
Commiphora cervifolia
Commiphora chaetocarpa
Commiphora chevalieri
Commiphora chiovendana
Commiphora ciliata Vollesen
Commiphora coleopsis
Commiphora confusa Vollesen
Commiphora corrugata J.B.Gillett & Vollesen
Commiphora crenatoserrata
Commiphora cuneifolia
Commiphora cyclophylla
Commiphora dalzielii
Commiphora dinteri
Commiphora discolor
Commiphora drake-brockmanii
Commiphora dulcis
Commiphora edulis
Commiphora elliptica
Commiphora eminii
Commiphora engleri
Commiphora enneaphylla
Commiphora erlangeriana
Commiphora erosa Vollesen
Commiphora falcata
Commiphora foliacea
Commiphora franciscana
Commiphora fraxinifolia
Commiphora fraxinoides
Commiphora fulvotomentosa
Commiphora gardoensis
Commiphora gariepensis
Commiphora giessii
Commiphora gileadensis (L.) C.Chr. (syn. Commiphora opobalsamum), producing balsam of Mecca.
Commiphora glandulosa Schinz
Commiphora glaucescens
Commiphora gorinii
Commiphora gracilifrondosa
Commiphora grandifolia
Commiphora grosswelleri
Commiphora guerichiania
Commiphora guidottii Chiov. ex Guid. (syn. Commiphora sessiliflora), producing habak hadi, known as bisabol, opoponax, scented or sweet myrrh.
Commiphora guillauminii
Commiphora gurreh
Commiphora hartmannii
Commiphora harveyi (Engl.) Engl.
Commiphora hereroensis
Commiphora hildebrandtii
Commiphora hodai
Commiphora hornbyi
Commiphora horrida
Commiphora humbertii H.Perrier
Commiphora kaokoensis
Commiphora karibensis
Commiphora kataf (Forssk.) Engl.(syn. Commiphora holtziana Engl, Commiphora erythraea (Ehrenb.) Engl.), producing habak hagar, known as sweet myrrh, sometimes sold as opoponax.
Commiphora kerstingii
Commiphora kraeuseliana
Commiphora kua (R.Br. ex Royle) Vollesen (syn. Commiphora habessinica (O.Berg) Engl.)
Commiphora kucharii
Commiphora kuneneana
Commiphora lacerata
Commiphora lamii
Commiphora lasiodisca
Commiphora laxecymigera
Commiphora leandriana
Commiphora leptophloeos (Mart.) J.B.Gillett, the only species of Commiphora present in the Americas.
Commiphora lobatospathulata
Commiphora longibracteata
Commiphora madagascariensis Jacq.
Commiphora mafaidoha
Commiphora mahafaliensis
Commiphora marchandii
Commiphora marlothii
Commiphora merkeri
Commiphora merkii
Commiphora mildbraedii
Commiphora mollis
Commiphora mombassensis
Commiphora monoica Vollesen
Commiphora monstruosa
Commiphora morondavensis
Commiphora mossambicensis (Oliv.) Engl.
Commiphora mossamedensis
Commiphora mulelame
Commiphora multifoliolata
Commiphora multijuga
Commiphora murraywatsonii
Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl. (syn. Commiphora molmol), producing myrrh.
Commiphora namaensis
Commiphora namibensis
Commiphora neglecta
Commiphora oblanceolata
Commiphora oblongifolia
Commiphora obovata
Commiphora oddurensis
Commiphora omundomba
Commiphora orbicularis
Commiphora ornifolia
Commiphora otjihipana
Commiphora ovalifolia
Commiphora paolii
Commiphora parvifolia
Commiphora pedunculata
Commiphora pervilleana
Commiphora planifrons
Commiphora playfairii
Commiphora pruinosa
Commiphora pseudopaolii
Commiphora pteleifolia
Commiphora pterocarpa
Commiphora pyracanthoides
Commiphora quadricincta
Commiphora quercifoliola
Commiphora rangeana
Commiphora razakamalalae
Commiphora rostrata
Commiphora ruquietiana
Commiphora ruspolii
Commiphora samharensis
Commiphora sarandensis
Commiphora saxicola Engl., Rock corkwood, a shrub endemic to Namibia
Commiphora schimperi (O.Bergman) Engl.
Commiphora schlechteri
Commiphora schultzei
Commiphora sennii
Commiphora serrata
Commiphora serrulata
Commiphora setulifera
Commiphora simplicifolia H.Perrier
Commiphora sinuata
Commiphora socotrana (Balf.f.) Engl.
Commiphora spathulata
Commiphora spathulifoliolata
Commiphora sphaerocarpa Chiov
Commiphora spinulosa
Commiphora staphyleifolia
Commiphora stellatopubescens
Commiphora stellulata
Commiphora steynii
Commiphora stocksiana (Engl.) Engl., known in Pakistan as bayisa gugal
Commiphora sulcata
Commiphora swynnertonii
Commiphora tenuipetiolata
Commiphora tetramera
Commiphora truncata
Commiphora tsimanampetsae
Commiphora ugogensis
Commiphora ulugurensis
Commiphora unilobata J.B.Gillett & Vollesen
Commiphora viminea
Commiphora virgata
Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari (syn. Commiphora mukul), producing gum guggul, sometimes identified with ancient bdellium.
Commiphora wildii
Commiphora woodii
Commiphora zanzibarica
Gallery
References
External links
Flora of Pakistan: Commiphora
Biblical Burseraceae
Burseraceae genera
Dioecious plants
Taxa named by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin