Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Commiphora myrrha tree, one of the primary trees from which myrrh is harvested. When a wound on a tree penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree secretes a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. Myrrh is harvested by repeatedly wounding the trees to bleed the gum, which is waxy and coagulates quickly.
The Latin Myrrha originated from the Ancient Greek múrrā, but, ultimately, the word is of Semitic origin, with roots in the Arabic murr, the Hebrew mōr, and the Aramaic mūrā, all meaning "bitter" [4] as well as referring to the plant. [5] [6] Regarding smyrna, the word is a Greek dialectic form of myrrha. [7]
Commiphora myrrha, called myrrh, [1] African myrrh, [1] herabol myrrh, [1] Somali myrrhor, [1] common myrrh, [3] is a tree in the family Burseraceae. It is one of the primary trees used in the production of myrrh , a resin made from dried tree sap .
These routes collectively served as channels for the trading of goods such as Arabian frankincense and myrrh; [1] Indian spices, precious stones, pearls, ebony, silk and fine textiles; [2] and from the Horn of Africa, rare woods, feathers, animal skins, Somali frankincense, gold, and slaves.
Commiphora is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae.The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the (sub-) tropical regions of Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and South America.
Herdsmen of the northern Sahel follow the rainfall patterns and the C. africana trees as they come into leaf, continually finding new areas for their animals to browse. This species is the preferred food plant of the beetle Diamphidia , the larva of which is used as a potent arrow poison.
In antiquity, the ancestors of the Somali people were an important link in the Horn of Africa connecting the region's commerce with the rest of the ancient world.Somali sailors and merchants were the main suppliers of frankincense, myrrh and spices, items which were considered valuable luxuries by the Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Mycenaeans and Babylonians.
The Burseraceae are also known as the torchwood family, [2] the frankincense and myrrh family, or simply the incense tree family. The family includes both trees and shrubs; its species are native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Americas.