Glossy-leaved corkwood
Commiphora schimperi

Family: Burseraceae

What it is like

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.

Where it is found

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.

Countries/locations it is found in

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

How it is used for food

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

Edible parts

Gum, resin, roots, bark - tea, shoots

How it is grown

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

Its other names

Local names

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

Synonyms

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