Commiphora kua

Commiphora kua, sometimes called Abyssinian myrrh or Yemen myrrh, is a plant native to north-east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Oman and Yemen. It was first described as Balsamodendrum kua in 1847 and has many botanical synonyms. It varies greatly in appearance: in drier areas it is a low, spiny shrub with small leaves, and in areas touched by the monsoon it is a medium-sized, unarmed tree with a distinct trunk and large leaves. It is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The bark peels or flakes, and when cut it oozes a pleasant-smelling resin. The leaves are glossy green, the flowers red or yellow, and the seed has an orange or pale yellow, four-lobed covering. The resin, also called myrrh of Commiphora kua, was used in traditional medicine in Arabia, where a small quantity was painted over the body area to be treated. The plant is also edible: a young plant with the root peeled and chewed gives a sweet, refreshing liquid.