Commiphora mollis
(Oliv.) Engl.
Velvet commiphora, Velvet corkwood
(c) Bart Wursten, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bart Wursten
(c) Bart Wursten, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Roots - drink, Shoots, Gum
The fruit is eaten, roots are chewed raw or made into a drink, shoots are consumed, and gum is harvested.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. They grow at medium to low altitude in hot, dry types of woodland. It grows on well-drained sandy or stony soils. It grows between 100-1,500 m above sea level. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 200-900 mm per year. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A small to medium sized tree. It grows to 8-12 m high. The leaves have 2-6 pairs of leaflets and one at the end. The lower pair are smaller. The flowers are small and yellow to pinkish. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are almost round and 10 mm across. They are densely furry. They are green becoming red. The base of the stone is covered with a flat, scarlet false seed layer with 4 wings.
How to Grow
It can be grown from large cuttings. It can be cut back and re-grow.
Notes
There are about 165 Commiphora species.
Names & Synonyms
Akamane, Dau-areb, Fluweelkaniedood, Ghor-ghor, Gohuti, Iminyela, Laiyamai, Muchamwa, Mugumbati, Mukuhunu, Mutchove, Muwawa, Omurenda, Riepwie, Soft-leaved commiphora, Xalolo
References (15)
- Exell, A.W. et al, (Ed), 1963, Flora Zambesiaca Vol 2 Part 1 Crown Agents, London. p 273
- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 15
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 140
- Ichikawa, M., 1980, The Utilization of Wild Food Plants by the Suiei Dorobo in Northern Kenya. J. Anthrop. Soc. Nippon. 88(1): 25-48
- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
- Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
- Palgrave, K.C., 1996, Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. p 366
- Palmer & Pitman, 1972,
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 73
- 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]
- Tredgold, M.H., 1986, Food Plants of Zimbabwe. Mambo Press. p 97
- van Wyk, B, van Wyk, P, and van Wyk B., 2000, Photographic guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Briza. p 98
- van Wyk, Be., & Gericke, N., 2007, People's plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza. p 84
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- www.zimbabweflora.co.zw 2011
