Mecca myrrh

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Mecca myrrh
• balm-of-Gilead
• Balsam of Mecca

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Commiphora opobalsamum
• Amyris gileadensis
• Amyris opobalsamum
• Commiphora suckertiana
• Commiphora coronillifolia
• Balsamus libanotus
• Balsamus meccanensis
• Balsamus theophrasti
• Balsamea meccanensis
• Balsamodendrum ehrenbergianum
• Balsamea gileadensis
• Balsamea opobalsamum
• Commiphora gillettii
• Commiphora cassan
• Commiphora ancistrophora
• Commiphora anfractuosa
• Commiphora albiflora
• Commiphora velutina
• Balsamodendrum opobalsamum
• Commiphora microcarpa
• Balsamodendrum gileadense
• Commiphora opobalsamum var. ehrenbergiana

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Sapindales and placed in the family Burseraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Commiphora, specifically as the species Commiphora gileadensis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across the Northeast Tropical Africa region. Its natural range includes several distinct countries within this geographical area. Specifically, it can be found growing in Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. The species is also documented to exist within the borders of Somalia. Finally, its distribution extends through the territories of both Sudan and South Sudan.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Commiphora gilmeadensis is fundamentally defined by its specialized adaptation to coral rock habitats, where it thrives in highly specific environmental niches. In these limestone-based landscapes, the plant must navigate extreme physiological challenges, including rapid drainage, low nutrient availability, and high calcium carbonate concentrations within the substrate. The porous nature of the coral rock provides minimal soil depth, forcing the species to develop extensive or specialized root systems capable of anchoring within rocky crevices to access moisture sequestered in the rock's fissures. This habitat choice suggests an evolutionary strategy geared towards drought tolerance and resilience against the intense solar radiation and heat retention characteristic of rocky, arid terrains. Consequently, its ecological niche is tightly bound to these calcified formations, where it plays a role in the specialized succession and stability of the coral rock ecosystem.

Habitat :

coral rock habitat

Life history

The life history of Commiphora giliefensis is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring its long-term survival through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive shoots are elevated well above the ground, a structural adaptation that defines its physical presence within its ecosystem. This species exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage periodically, which is a common physiological strategy for managing resources in its native environment. Its life form is consistently categorized as a phanerophyte, reflecting its growth habit of maintaining visible, woody structures that persist over its extended lifespan.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Commiphora gileadensis is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree, typically reaching an average plant height of 4 m. It functions as a self-supporting, non-climbing organism and maintains an independent lifestyle, meaning it is not a parasite. Furthermore, it is a terrestrial species, growing directly in the soil rather than as an epiphyte.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

4 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Commiphora gileadensis is defined by its specialized adaptations to arid and semi-arid environments, focusing on moisture conservation and metabolic resilience. As a member of the Burseraceae family, the plant exhibits a highly efficient secondary metabolism, characterized by the synthesis and exudation of complex oleo-gum-resins through specialized secretory structures in the bark. These resins serve vital physiological roles in wound healing, protection against herbivory, and mitigating desiccation under intense solar radiation. The plant's water relations are governed by a robust root system capable of accessing deep subterranean moisture, complemented by leaf morphologies that minimize transpirational loss. Regarding its nutrient acquisition strategies, Commiphora gileadensis does not engage in symbiotic nitrogen fixation; it is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the uptake of mineral nitrogen from the soil through its root system rather than through atmospheric nitrogen conversion via rhizobia or similar microbial associations. This metabolic profile ensures survival in nutrient-poor, xeric substrates by prioritizing resource conservation and chemical defense.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Commiphora gileadensis has 3 reported plant parts identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem, fruit.

Leaf

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Ultrasonics sonochemistry
3. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)

Fruit

1. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Commiphora gileadensis has 9 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 10-Hydroxycamptothecin, FLAVANONE, Justicidin B, LIMONENE, P-CYMENE.

10-Hydroxycamptothecin

1. Metabolites

FLAVANONE

1. Metabolites

Justicidin B

1. Metabolites

LIMONENE

1. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)

P-CYMENE

1. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)

Terpinen-4-ol

1. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)

cycloartan-24-ene-1alpha,2alpha,3beta-triol

1. Journal of natural products

flavonols

1. Metabolites

puromycin

1. Metabolites

Activities

Commiphora gileadensis has 7 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, Bradycardiac.

Antimicrobial

1. Metabolites
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Antidiabetic

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Bradycardiac

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cytotoxic

1. Metabolites

Hypotensive

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Medicinal Uses

Commiphora gileadensis has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include inflammation, bacteria, bacterial infections, fungi, infections.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations