Commiphora schimperi

(Berg.) Engl.

Glossy-leaved corkwood

Burseraceae Edible: Gum, Resin, Roots, Bark - tea, Shoots 71 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc0

no rights reserved, uploaded by Andrew Deacon

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Commiphora schimperi, also known as glossy-leaved corkwood, is a tree species in the genus Commiphora. It is native eastern and southern Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, from Sudan and Yemen in the north to Botswana and northern South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces) in the south.

Description

A spiny shrub. It loses is leaves. It grows 5 m high. The bark is reddish brown and peels off in rolling strips. The branches have spines at the tips. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The central leaflet is 3.5 cm long. The side leaflets are smaller. The flowers are in small clusters in the axils of leaves. They are red and cup shaped. The fruit are oval and 1.3 cm long. They split to reveal black seeds. These are surrounded by a bright red covering.

Edible Uses

The roots are chewed for their sweet taste. The resin exuded by the bark is chewed. The inner red bark is used in tea.

Traditional Uses

The roots are chewed for their sweet taste. The resin exuded by the bark is chewed. The inner red dark is used in tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. In Kenya it grows between 400-1,900 m altitude. It grows on well-drained dry soils that can be sandy or have clay. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Middle East, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from stem cuttings. It is grown as a hedge plant.

Other Uses

A gum resin is obtained from the stems. It is used like myrrh.

Synonyms

Commiphora trothae Engl.Commiphora betschuanica Engl.Commiphora buaensis Engl.Balsamodendron schimperi O. Berg.

Also Known As

Chalinaka, Ekwangorom, Lekola, Mokgonkgoro, Mukwendekwende, Munyera, Mrunye, Osilalei, Qeyi, Seroka

References (16)

Feyssa, D. H., et al, 2011, Seasonal availability an consumption of wild edible plants in semiarid Ethiopia; Implications to food security and climate change adaptation. Journal of Horticulture and Forestry 3(5): 138-149
Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 140
Glover, et al, 1966b, (As Commiphora trothae)
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 44 (As Commiphora trothae)
Ichikawa, M., 1980, The Utilization of Wild Food Plants by the Suiei Dorobo in Northern Kenya. J. Anthrop. Soc. Nippon. 88(1): 25-48

Show all 16 references

Johns, T., Mhoro, E. B. and Sanaya, P., 1996, Food Plants and Masticants of the Batemi of Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 115-121
Lulekal, E., et al, 2011, Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: a review on their potential to combat food insecurity. Afrika Focus - Vol. 24, No 2. pp 71-121
Maundu, P. et al, 1999, Traditional Food Plants of Kenya. National Museum of Kenya. 288p
Mutie, F. G., 2020, Conservation of Wild Food Plants and Their Potential for Combatting Food Insecurity in Kenya as Exemplified by the Drylands of Kitui County. Plants 2020, 9, 1017
Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 73 (As Commiphora trothae)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 5th April 2011]
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 41
Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
www.zimbabweflora.co.zw 2011