Blue-bark commiphora
Commiphora caerulea
Family: Burseraceae
What it is like
A deciduous tree. It has clean stems. It grows up to 13 m high. The bark is smooth and succulent and blue in colour. The leaves have 3 leaflets or there are 2 pairs of leaflets and one at the end. The leaflets are oblong and 8 cm long by 4.7 cm wide. The edges of the leaves are wavy or toothed. The flowers are small and greenish-yellow. They occur either singly or in small clusters. The fruit are almost round and 1.5 cm across. It has a thin layer of pulp.
There are about 165 Commiphora species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows on thicketed ravines and rocky hill slopes.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The young roots are chewed for juices.
Edible parts
Roots
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Wému