Commiphora africana
Hairy corkwood
Commiphora africana, commonly known as African Myrrh, is a resilient shrub native to the arid regions of Africa. Renowned for its aromatic resin, this medicinal plant is traditionally utilized in various cultures to treat respiratory ailments, skin infections, and inflammatory conditions, offering significant therapeutic potential in herbal medicine.
- Scientific name: Commiphora africana
- Family: Burseraceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Sapindales. Finally, it resides in the family Burseraceae and is identified by the genus Commiphora.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Sapindales | WCVP |
| Family | Burseraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Commiphora | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Commiphora africana, is referred to by various names across different languages and regions. In Rwanda, it is called Umudahwera (rw), while in Azerbaijan, it is known as Afrika kommiforası (az). In the Arabic language, it is identified as بلسان إفريقي (ar), and in Amharic, it is called አንቃ (am). Furthermore, in Chinese, the plant is commonly known as 非洲没药树 (zh).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| rw | Umudahwera | Wikidata |
| az | Afrika kommiforası | Wikidata |
| ar | بلسان إفريقي | Wikidata |
| am | አንቃ | Wikidata |
| zh | 非洲没药树 | Wikidata |
| dag | Narga | Wikidata |
| arz | بلسان افريقى | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 非洲没药树 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 非洲没藥樹 | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 非洲没药树 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed across the West Tropical Africa region. Specifically, it can be found growing within the borders of Benin. Its natural range also extends into the territory of Burkina. Furthermore, the species is documented in the Gambia and Ghana. Finally, its geographical presence includes the Ivory Coast.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mauritania | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Niger | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Commiphora africana, possesses several components that are utilized for their therapeutic properties. The stem bark is frequently harvested to extract resins and compounds used in traditional medicine, while the root bark is similarly valued for its potent medicinal constituents. Additionally, the leaf is often incorporated into various preparations, contributing to the overall medicinal profile of the species.- Total parts
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| stem bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Commiphora africana has 8 reported phytochemicals identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 3-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid, flavonoids, glycosides, pinostilbene, saponins.
- Total chemicals
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 3-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| glycosides | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| pinostilbene | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| steroids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tannins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| triterpenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Commiphora africana has 3 reported medicinal uses identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, earthworm, malaria.
- Total uses
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| earthworm | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |