Commiphora gileadensis (L.) C.Chr.

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Habit

Shrub 2–4 m. tall; bark dull orange, grey or blackish, peeling in small scrolls or not peeling; exudate clear, with a pungent resinous odour; young twigs 1–1.5 mm. thick, somewhat fluted, brownish pubescent, later glabrescent.

Leaves

Leaves puberulous, velvety pubescent or hispidulous throughout, becoming orange-red before being shed, (3–)5–9-foliolate; rhachis up to 35 mm. long, including the 3–10 mm. petiole, winged in its upper part; leaflets usually entire, rarely with undulate margins, the lateral suborbicular, elliptic or elliptic-obovate, rounded or broadly pointed apically, obliquely rounded or broadly pointed basally (the lowest pair smaller than the others, occasionally subalternate), 3–15 mm. long, 3–7 mm. wide; the terminal attenuate at the base but always sessile, (4–)6–17 mm. long, 3–9 mm. wide.

Flowers

Male flowers yellow in dense pubescent clusters appearing with the leaves; peduncles and pedicels together under 2 mm. long; bracteoles ± 0.3 mm.

Male

Male flowers yellow in dense pubescent clusters appearing with the leaves; peduncles and pedicels together under 2 mm. long; bracteoles ± 0.3 mm.

Calyx

Calyx densely pubescent, ± 1.7 mm. wide and 1 mm. deep, including broadly triangular teeth ± 0.2 mm. long.

Corolla

Petals usually pubescent outside, ± 1.7 × 0.5 mm.

Filaments

Filaments glabrous, 1.3 and 0.9 mm., anthers 0.6 mm. long.

Fruits

Fruits single or paired on stalks 1–2 mm. long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous in parts, dark brown with 4 pale streaks, flattened ovoid or ellipsoid, apiculate, 6–7 × 3–5 × (1 + 1.5–2) mm.; pericarp 4-valved; pseudaril orange-yellow with 4 narrowly triangular lobes, the sutural more than half as long as the facial, that on the sterile longer than that on the fertile locule; stone smooth, ± 4 × 3 × (1 + 2) mm., the sterile narrower than the fertile locule, ridged dorsally near its base.

Figures

Fig. 15/13, 14, p. 82.

Habitat

Acacia, Commiphora bushland on limestone hills; 800 m.; rainfall ± 230 mm.

Distribution

K1