Commiphora virgata
Engl.
Slender corkwood
BurseraceaeBark/Sap
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Francois du Randt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Francois du Randt
(c) Francois du Randt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Francois du Randt
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Ben Strohbach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Ben Strohbach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Gum
The gum is edible.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in areas with a rainfall below 250 mm and a dry season of 8-11 months. It is often on dry stony soils over limestone rock. It grows between 400-1,300 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Namibia, Southern Africa,
Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree (Burseraceae) growing up to 5 m tall, native to tropical arid regions with low rainfall and long dry seasons. It occurs on dry stony soils over limestone at 400–1,300 m elevation and is notably hosts an edible caterpillar species.
Notes
It is host to an edible caterpillar (Usta wallengrenii).
Names & Synonyms
Antob, Omumbara, Soba
References (3)
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 5th April 2011]
- Sullivan, S., 1998, People plants and practice in drylands: Socio-political and ecological dimensions of resource-use by Damara farmers in north-west Namibia. Ph.D. Univ. College London. p 24
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
