Commiphora pyracanthoides
Engl.
Common corkwood, Firethorn corkwood
(c) Wynand Uys, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) Wynand Uys, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) Wynand Uys, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Tuber, Root, Gum
The gum is eaten despite its bitter taste. The roots are chewed for their sweet, fresh water content.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It occurs at low altitudes in dry woodland. It grows in areas with a rainfall below 100 mm per year. It can tolerate frost. It suits hot arid areas. It grows on sandy or stony soils often over limestone rocks. It can tolerate drought. It grows between 150-1,800 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A sprawling, spiny shrub. It grows to 8 m high. The bark is grey, green, yellow or red and flakes in small papery strips. The leaves are clustered on short spiny branches. The leaves are compound but have a single leaflet. It is narrowly oval and 7.5 cm long by 3.2 cm wide. They are bright green above and paler underneath. The flowers are small and pink. They are in clusters on very small branches. The fruit are oval and about 10 mm long. The stone has a 3 or 4 armed false seed layer.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roots | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | 0.8 | 0.4 |
How to Grow
It can be cut back and will re-grow.
Notes
There are about 165 Commiphora species.
Names & Synonyms
Common commiphora, Gewone kanniedood, Mubwabwa, Mukwendewende, Munyera, Mutchove, Muwowo, Seroka
References (22)
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- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 15
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- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
- Palgrave, K.C., 1996, Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. p 369
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- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 73
- Roodt, V., 1998, Trees & Shrubs of the Okavango Delta. Medicinal Uses and Nutritional value. The Shell Field Guide Series: Part 1. Shell Botswana. p 193
- 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]
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 41
- Scudder, 1971,
- Silberbauer, 1981,
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- Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
- van Wyk, B, van Wyk, P, and van Wyk B., 2000, Photographic guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Briza. p 100
- van Wyk, Be., & Gericke, N., 2007, People's plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza. p 84
- Wehmeyer, A. S, 1986, Edible Wild Plants of Southern Africa. Data on the Nutrient Contents of over 300 species
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- www.zimbabweflora.co.zw 2011
