Common Name:

General Information

Commiphora rostrata is usually an erect shrub or small tree growing up to 4 metres tall, though sometimes it has a more prostrate or climbing habit[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, mainly as a food, medicine and source of gum.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

Habitat

A widespread plant of open bushland, usually on sloping ground, at elevations from 80 - 1,050 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of drier areas in the tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,050 metres. It is found naturally in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 150 - 600mm[]. Plants can tolerate some frost[].

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked[, ]. They are eaten raw, directly from the tree, and are also used as a relish and cooked with other foodstuffs to add flavour[]. The fresh leaves taste salty, acid and bitter - the acid taste is due to oxalic acid[].

The bark and branches are sometimes used to prepare a tea[].

The stem pith is chewed to relieve thirst[]. The exudate from the bark is copious, very fluid and highly aromatic[].

Medicinal

The leaves and young twigs are chewed to ease cough and chest problems[].

Bark or branches are chewed or taken as an infusion to relieve fever, colds and coughs[].
Juice from the bark is applied to the eyes to cure eye diseases[].

The exudate from the bark is copious, very fluid and highly aromatic. It showed antimicrobial activity (against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and antifungal activity (against Aspergillus and Penicillium)[].
The major components of the volatile fraction of the resin are 2-decanone (65%), 2-undecanone (24%) and 2-dodecanone (5%). The whole resin, as well as the 3 pure constituents, inhibited growth of fungi in vitro and showed a repellent effect on maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais)[].

Other Uses

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

The resin from the bark is used to glue feathers to arrow shafts[].

The powdered bark is added to water in new calabashes made from bottle gourds (Lagenaria spp.) and the left for 3 days to give them a pleasant smell[].

The wood can support breeding populations of the larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus) and should therefore not be used in the construction of grain stores[].

Propagation

Seed -
Stem cuttings.

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