Common Name: African Myrrh

General Information

Commiphora africana is a spiny, low-branching deciduous shrub or small tree with a short bole and a dense, rounded crown. It usually grows 3 - 5 metres tall, with occasional specimens up to 10 metres[, ]. The tree is often bare of leaves for several months in the dry period[]. The plant has a creeping root system that spreads for several metres around the tree[].
The plant is of outstanding importance for many nomadic herdsmen in the northern parts of the Sahel, growing in an otherwise poor environment, and providing medicines, food and various other commodities for the local people[, , ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - widespread in dry areas throughout the continent south of the Sahara.

Habitat

A typical species of dry savannahs, occurring on a variety of soil types often rocky sites, lateritic crusts and sand[]. Found at elevations from 300 - 1,900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier tropics and subtropics, found naturally at elevations below 800 metres, though occasionally found at elevations up to 1,600 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 23 - 33°c, but can tolerate 18 - 40°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 800mm, but tolerates 250 - 1,000mm[].
Succeeds on a variety of soil types, preferring rocky sites, lateritic crusts and sand. Although it is found on clay, it does not do well on stiff types like vertisols[]. The plant appears to grow best on calcareous soils, sands, red clay and sandy clay[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5, tolerating 5.5 - 8[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
A slow-growing tree[].
Flowering occurs at the beginning of the dry season, usually before the leaf flush. Flowering and fruiting are irregular and do not occur every year[].
Plants are resistant to fires, resprouting well once the fire has past[].

Edible Uses

Roots - raw[]. The swollen rootstock from young plants is juicy with a mildly sweet taste[]. It is dug up, peeled and chewed raw like cassava. It is mainly eaten by children and herdsmen[].

The gum obtained from the stem is eaten[].

The bark is brewed to make a red tea[].

Leaves - cooked[].

Fruit[]. A very resinous pulp[]. The globose fruit is up to 8mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The fruits are used for the treatment of typhoid fever and as a remedy for stomach problems[, ].
The fruits are chewed or pounded and used as a treatment against toothache and diseases of the gum[].

The powdered bark is mixed with porridge and taken as cure for malaria[].
The bark is chewed or pounded then mixed with tobacco and applied on snakebites[]. The powdered bark is mixed with chalk and applied to scorpion stings and is used as a treatment for leprosy[].

A decoction of the roots is drunk as a remedy for fever, leprosy and stomach-ache[].

The bark and roots are boiled and used as a steam bath in the treatment of fevers and colds[].

The leaves and bark are used in the treatment of wounds, skin problems, male sterility, intestinal disorders etc[].

The resin is antiseptic. It is used for relieving headaches and disinfecting wounds[, ].

The stems are carbonized, mixed with shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) and used as a vulnerary ointment on wounds[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is easily propagated by cuttings, even quite large ones, and so is particularly suitable for use as live fences and hedges[, , , ].
The plant is very sensitive to increasing humidity in the wind. It is the first plant to detect the coming of the rains and shows this by coming into leaf before any other deciduous plant. It is thus seen as an indicator of forthcoming rain - it also shows when the wet season is ending by its leaves turning a golden-yellow colour and falling from the plant[].

Other Uses

The stem is a source of bdellium, a resin resembling myrrh[]. It can be used as an adhesive[]. The fragrant resin is burnt in rooms as an incense, insect repellent etc; it is used as a perfume in potions; stored in clothing to repel moths etc[].

The stems are used as toothbrushes to clean the teeth and maintain dental hygiene[, ].

The bark is the source of a reddish-brown dye used for dyeing cloth[].

The seeds are used as beads for making fragrant necklaces[].

The wood is soft but termite resistant[, , ]. It has all-round use as utility construction timber and for beehives, stools, domestic utensils and wheels for carts[, , ].
The wood is sometimes used for fuel and to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - the seed has a hard coat which impedes the uptake of water, thus delaying germination. Various methods to accelerate imbibition by surface treatment, such as abrading the seed coat, or using sulphuric acid, may work, but this is not reported in literature[].
The seeds are orthodox and can presumably be stored for several years at room temperature[]. Cold storage prolongs longevity[].
The plant is easy to propagate with cuttings[]. Large cuttings can be used when making a living fence[].

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