53:
33:
457:, a clear, edible, aromatic gum ('Commiphora'='gum-bearing'). The leaves are trifoliate with a large terminal leaflet and two small side leaflets, bluntly toothed, and, as with most Commiphoras, pleasantly aromatic when crushed. Fruits are reddish, and about 6–8 mm across, splitting when ripe to reveal a hard, black seed held by a pseudo-
484:
takes advantage of any wet spells to complete a leafing, flowering and fruiting cycle, and retreats into dormancy over unfavourable periods. Even so its foliage displays none of the features usually associated with drought-adapted plants. Herdsmen of the northern Sahel follow the rainfall patterns
465:
with four red fingers, resembling the clasps holding a jewel in a brooch or ring setting. The tree's fruits are edible while the succulent, sweet roots are often chewed by humans, and the new leaves are sought after by camels and goats, particularly at the beginning of the dry season.
469:
This tree is extremely sensitive to atmospheric humidity and will expand its leaf buds at the first hint of moisture-laden winds. Consequently it is the first tree to come into leaf with the arrival of the wet season, and remains remarkably green throughout the rainy period. In the
514:. The soft, termite-resistant wood is used for carving domestic utensils, music instruments and general purpose items. An edible oil is also extracted and parts of the tree exhibit strong fungicidal properties.
505:
Tree parts are used to treat a wide range of ailments - fruits for typhoid fever and stomach problems, bark for malaria, resin for convulsions and for covering and disinfecting wounds, and burnt resin as an
480:. The leaves, though, survive only as long as the moist air lasts, and dry out as soon as the rainy season is over, at which time the colour of the foliage changes to a remarkable, golden hue.
637:
620:
576:
841:
453:
is usually some 5m tall, its branchlets often ending in spines. Its bark is grey-green, peeling to reveal a shiny surface, red when damaged, and then exuding
556:
960:
776:
973:
789:
1053:
986:
815:
571:
592:
711:
52:
999:
880:
846:
1058:
1004:
885:
551:
692:
654:
716:
978:
794:
169:
750:
1063:
1025:
906:
742:
198:
47:
833:
947:
854:
724:
476:
859:
560:
439:
90:
489:
trees as they come into leaf, continually finding new areas for their animals to browse.
872:
531:
438:. On sandy soils this species sometimes forms pure stands, deserving consideration as a
867:
77:
32:
1047:
828:
580:
347:
1030:
952:
911:
415:
363:
729:
703:
938:
802:
686:
600:
511:
507:
351:
343:
136:
643:
494:
395:
391:
146:
126:
677:
763:
339:
1017:
898:
1012:
932:
893:
671:
462:
454:
435:
423:
379:
371:
359:
103:
965:
781:
737:
411:
407:
399:
375:
186:
807:
431:
427:
355:
116:
648:
991:
820:
768:
471:
419:
403:
383:
190:
64:
755:
458:
387:
367:
652:
622:
498:, the larva of which is used as a potent arrow poison.
492:
This species is the preferred food plant of the beetle
532:"The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species"
922:
661:
474:this striking fresh appearance is shared only by
8:
649:
502:is particularly suitable as a live fence.
31:
20:
523:
211:
7:
644:West African plants – A Photo Guide.
595:Food and Agricultural Organisation
14:
1005:urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:128117-1
886:urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:127576-1
51:
1:
1054:Fruits originating in Africa
573:Agro Forestry Tree Database
1080:
204:
197:
175:
168:
48:Scientific classification
46:
39:
30:
23:
350:, occurring widely over
241:Balsamodendrum africanum
346:, a family akin to the
249:Commiphora benadirensis
342:tree belonging to the
305:Commiphora sambesiaca
273:Commiphora loandensis
265:Commiphora calciicola
257:Commiphora cakiicola
924:Heudelotia africana
693:Commiphora africana
663:Commiphora africana
639:Commiphora africana
445:Closely related to
331:Commiphora africana
313:Heudelotia africana
179:Commiphora africana
41:Commiphora africana
25:Commiphora africana
559:2016-03-04 at the
334:, commonly called
281:Commiphora nkolola
1041:
1040:
855:Open Tree of Life
655:Taxon identifiers
477:Salvadora persica
327:
326:
317:
309:
301:
297:Commiphora rugosa
293:
289:Commiphora pilosa
285:
277:
269:
261:
253:
245:
237:
229:
225:Balsamea kotschyi
221:
217:Balsamea africana
1071:
1034:
1033:
1021:
1020:
1008:
1007:
995:
994:
982:
981:
969:
968:
956:
955:
943:
942:
941:
915:
914:
902:
901:
889:
888:
876:
875:
863:
862:
850:
849:
837:
836:
824:
823:
811:
810:
798:
797:
785:
784:
772:
771:
759:
758:
746:
745:
733:
732:
720:
719:
707:
706:
697:
696:
695:
682:
681:
680:
650:
625:
618:
612:
611:
609:
608:
599:. Archived from
589:
583:
569:
563:
549:
543:
542:
540:
538:
528:
442:or association.
315:
307:
299:
291:
283:
275:
267:
259:
251:
243:
235:
227:
219:
181:
161:C. africana
56:
55:
35:
21:
1079:
1078:
1074:
1073:
1072:
1070:
1069:
1068:
1059:Trees of Africa
1044:
1043:
1042:
1037:
1029:
1024:
1016:
1011:
1003:
998:
990:
985:
977:
972:
964:
959:
951:
946:
937:
936:
931:
918:
910:
905:
897:
892:
884:
879:
871:
866:
858:
853:
845:
840:
832:
827:
819:
814:
806:
801:
793:
788:
780:
775:
767:
762:
754:
749:
741:
736:
728:
723:
715:
710:
702:
700:
691:
690:
685:
676:
675:
670:
657:
634:
629:
628:
619:
615:
606:
604:
591:
590:
586:
570:
566:
561:Wayback Machine
550:
546:
536:
534:
530:
529:
525:
520:
440:plant community
323:
320:
233:Balsamea pilosa
210:
209:
193:
183:
177:
164:
50:
17:
16:Species of tree
12:
11:
5:
1077:
1075:
1067:
1066:
1061:
1056:
1046:
1045:
1039:
1038:
1036:
1035:
1031:wfo-0000721760
1022:
1009:
996:
983:
970:
957:
944:
928:
926:
920:
919:
917:
916:
912:wfo-0000617158
903:
890:
877:
864:
851:
838:
825:
812:
799:
786:
773:
760:
747:
734:
721:
708:
698:
683:
667:
665:
659:
658:
653:
647:
646:
633:
632:External links
630:
627:
626:
613:
584:
579:2013-04-16 at
564:
544:
522:
521:
519:
516:
325:
324:
322:
321:
319:
318:
310:
302:
294:
286:
278:
270:
262:
254:
246:
238:
230:
222:
213:
207:
206:
205:
202:
201:
195:
194:
184:
173:
172:
166:
165:
158:
156:
152:
151:
144:
140:
139:
134:
130:
129:
124:
120:
119:
114:
107:
106:
101:
94:
93:
88:
81:
80:
75:
68:
67:
62:
58:
57:
44:
43:
37:
36:
28:
27:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1076:
1065:
1062:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1052:
1051:
1049:
1032:
1027:
1023:
1019:
1014:
1010:
1006:
1001:
997:
993:
988:
984:
980:
975:
971:
967:
962:
958:
954:
949:
945:
940:
934:
930:
929:
927:
925:
921:
913:
908:
904:
900:
895:
891:
887:
882:
878:
874:
869:
865:
861:
856:
852:
848:
843:
839:
835:
830:
826:
822:
817:
813:
809:
804:
800:
796:
791:
787:
783:
778:
774:
770:
765:
761:
757:
752:
748:
744:
739:
735:
731:
726:
722:
718:
713:
709:
705:
699:
694:
688:
684:
679:
673:
669:
668:
666:
664:
660:
656:
651:
645:
641:
640:
636:
635:
631:
624:
623:
617:
614:
603:on 2014-10-08
602:
598:
596:
588:
585:
582:
581:archive.today
578:
575:
574:
568:
565:
562:
558:
555:
554:
548:
545:
533:
527:
524:
517:
515:
513:
509:
503:
501:
497:
496:
490:
488:
483:
479:
478:
473:
467:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
447:C. glandulosa
443:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
389:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
348:Anacardiaceae
345:
341:
338:, is a small
337:
336:African myrrh
333:
332:
314:
311:
306:
303:
298:
295:
292:(Engl.) Engl.
290:
287:
282:
279:
274:
271:
266:
263:
258:
255:
250:
247:
242:
239:
234:
231:
226:
223:
218:
215:
214:
212:
203:
200:
196:
192:
188:
182:
180:
174:
171:
170:Binomial name
167:
163:
162:
157:
154:
153:
150:
149:
145:
142:
141:
138:
135:
132:
131:
128:
125:
122:
121:
118:
115:
112:
109:
108:
105:
102:
99:
96:
95:
92:
89:
86:
83:
82:
79:
78:Tracheophytes
76:
73:
70:
69:
66:
63:
60:
59:
54:
49:
45:
42:
38:
34:
29:
26:
22:
19:
923:
662:
638:
621:
616:
605:. Retrieved
601:the original
594:
587:
572:
567:
552:
547:
535:. Retrieved
526:
504:
499:
493:
491:
486:
481:
475:
468:
450:
446:
444:
416:South Africa
364:Burkina Faso
335:
330:
329:
328:
312:
304:
296:
288:
280:
272:
264:
256:
248:
240:
232:
224:
216:
178:
176:
160:
159:
147:
110:
97:
84:
71:
40:
24:
18:
873:kew-2733387
803:iNaturalist
687:Wikispecies
512:aphrodisiac
508:insecticide
500:C. africana
487:C. africana
482:C. africana
451:C. africana
352:sub-Saharan
344:Burseraceae
137:Burseraceae
91:Angiosperms
1064:Commiphora
1048:Categories
868:Plant List
607:2012-09-26
518:References
495:Diamphidia
396:Mozambique
392:Mauritania
354:Africa in
148:Commiphora
127:Sapindales
939:Q38557538
834:146216386
340:deciduous
155:Species:
61:Kingdom:
1013:Tropicos
992:128117-1
933:Wikidata
894:Tropicos
821:127576-1
672:Wikidata
577:Archived
557:Archived
485:and the
463:mericarp
455:bdellion
436:Zimbabwe
424:Tanzania
380:Ethiopia
372:Eswatini
360:Botswana
199:Synonyms
133:Family:
104:Eudicots
1018:4700279
966:3992731
899:4700276
782:7286896
756:5616141
738:Ecocrop
678:Q559137
537:June 6,
412:Somalia
408:Senegal
400:Namibia
376:Eritrea
316:A.Rich.
187:A.Rich.
143:Genus:
123:Order:
65:Plantae
979:429676
860:896476
847:181237
808:505821
795:429675
717:204936
704:174724
701:APDB:
432:Zambia
428:Uganda
356:Angola
252:Mattei
220:Baill.
117:Rosids
953:3LFSM
769:COQAF
472:Sahel
420:Sudan
404:Niger
384:Kenya
308:Engl.
300:Engl.
284:Engl.
276:Engl.
268:Engl.
260:Engl.
236:Engl.
228:Engl.
191:Endl.
111:Clade
98:Clade
85:Clade
72:Clade
1000:POWO
987:IPNI
974:GRIN
961:GBIF
881:POWO
842:NCBI
829:IUCN
816:IPNI
790:GRIN
777:GBIF
764:EPPO
743:4804
730:XG2B
712:BOLD
553:ILRI
539:2014
510:and
459:aril
434:and
388:Mali
368:Chad
244:Arn.
208:List
1026:WFO
948:CoL
907:WFO
751:EoL
725:CoL
642:in
461:or
1050::
1028::
1015::
1002::
989::
976::
963::
950::
935::
909::
896::
883::
870::
857::
844::
831::
818::
805::
792::
779::
766::
753::
740::
727::
714::
689::
674::
449:,
430:,
426:,
422:,
418:,
414:,
410:,
406:,
402:,
398:,
394:,
390:,
386:,
382:,
378:,
374:,
370:,
366:,
362:,
358:,
189:)
113::
100::
87::
74::
610:.
597:"
593:"
541:.
185:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
