Commiphora madagascariensis

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Commiphora madagascariensis
Commiphora madagascariensis.jpg
Commiphora madagascariensis grown in West Bengal, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Burseraceae
Genus: Commiphora
Species:
C. madagascariensis
Binomial name
Commiphora madagascariensis
Jacq. (1797)

Commiphora madagascariensis, with the common name Madagascar corkwood, [2] is a flowering plant in the family Burseraceae. The species is native to Tanzania, introduced into India. [2]

Contents

Description

This slender sometimes scandent shrub or tree (1–15 m) is found in thickets and semi-evergreen dry forest at elevations of 0–660 m.

Close-up of leaves Commiphora wightii.jpg
Close-up of leaves

The bark smooth, dark brown, grey-brown or green-brown; branches often spiny, hairless. Leaves are 1-foliolate or 3-foliolate with 2 much smaller lateral leaflets; leaf-stalk very short, about 1 mm long, or considerably longer, up to 1–5 cm; leaflet-blade up to 4 x 1–5 cm, elliptic or narrowly ovate-spoon-shaped, tip pointed or blunt, margins finely rounded saw-toothed, base wedge-shaped, hairless on both sides. Flowers appear before the leaves or with the young leaves in nearly stalkless clusters on short side-shoots or spines. Sepal-cup is about 2 mm long, tubular, lobed to 1/3 to 1/2-way, and hairless. Petals are about 4 mm long. Disk-lobes are 4. Stamen-filaments slender, nearly round. Fruit is about 1-2 x 0–6 cm, ellipsoid, somewhat flattened, hairless, tip somewhat apiculate. [2] [3]

Endangerment and rescue

World Conservation Union (IUCN) has enlisted it in its IUCN Red List of threatened species. The species is known from 11 locations, some of which have threats such as urbanisation (Mjimwema), increasing human population (Mnazi Bay) or planned hydropower schemes (Stiegler's Gorge). We assess this species as Near Threatened, as it is close to meeting the thresholds for listing in a threatened category. [1]

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<i>Leucospermum bolusii</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum bolusii is a shrub native to South Africa. It grows to 1.5 m in height, and has nearly hairless leaves with a single apical tooth. The leaves are oval shaped and range from 25–45 mm (0.98–1.77 in) in length. The flower heads are about 2 cm in diameter, slightly flattened globe shaped, are set on a stalk of about 1 cm and crowded with up to eight together at the tip of the branches. They each contain 50–100 small, sweetly scented creamy white flowers, that later turn light pink. Flowering takes place between September and December. It is called Gordon's Bay pincushion in English and witluisiesbos in Afrikaans.

<i>Leucospermum truncatulum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum truncatulum is a slender, upright, evergreen, hardly branching shrub of up to 2 m (6 ft) high, with felty inverted egg-shaped to oval, leaves with entire margins of 1–2½ cm (0.4–1.0 in) long and ½–1 cm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. It has small globe-shaped, at first yellow, later pinkish flower heads of 1½–2 cm (0.6-0.8 in) in diameter, without a stalk, usually crowded with two to eight together near the end of the stems. It is known as oval-leaf pincushion in English, and patrysbos or kleinkopspeldekussing in Afrikaans. It is an endemic species of the south of the Western Cape province of South Africa, and flowers between August and December.

<i>Leucospermum tomentosum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum tomentosum is an evergreen, mostly spreading shrublet of approximately 75 cm (3 ft) high and up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter, with alternately set, linear or narrowly spade-shaped, grey felty leaves, with one to three teeth near the tip. It has round, seated flower heads of 3–3½ cm (1.2–1.4 in) in diameter, occurring in groups of one to four, and consisting of deep yellow, very sweet scented flowers. It can survive the occasional wildfire because it regenerates from the underground rootstock. It is an endemic species that is restricted to a narrow strip along the Atlantic coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The species flowers between June and November. It is called Saldanha pincushion in English.

<i>Leucospermum heterophyllum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum heterophyllum is a low, trailing evergreen shrublet of up to 15 cm (6 in) high, and up to several m in diameter, which is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrow leaves of about 2½ cm (1 in) long and ½ cm (0.2 in) wide, mostly with three teeth near its tip. It has small, globe-shaped, whitish flower heads. It is called trident pincushion in English and rankluisie in Afrikaans. It naturally occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The plant flowers between August and January.

<i>Leucospermum parile</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum parile is a rounded shrub, of up to 1½ m (6 ft) high that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrow, grey felty leaves of about 2 cm (2 in) long and 7 mm (0.28 in) wide, with rich yellow, globular, well-scented flower heads of about 3 cm (1.2 in) across. It grows in pure white sand in the sandveld of a very small area in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is called Malmesbury pincushion in English and Malmesburyluisie in Afrikaans. It flowers from July till November.

<i>Leucospermum gueinzii</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum gueinzii is an evergreen, upright shrub of 2–3 m (6–9 ft) high from the family Proteaceae. It has pointy lance-shaped to elliptic, eventually hairless, mostly entire leaves and egg-shaped, later flatter flower heads of about 12 cm in diameter, containing initially deep orange, later crimson flowers. From the center of each flower emerges a long style with a thickened tip, giving the entire head the appearance of a pincushion. Its flowers can be found between August and December. It is called kloof fountain-pincushion or shorter kloof pincushion in English. This is an endemic species restricted to a very small area near the south coast of the Western Cape province in South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum grandiflorum</i> South African pincushion shrub

Leucospermum grandiflorum is an evergreen, upright shrub of up to 2½ m high that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has elliptic, greyish green, softly hairy leaves and initially egg-shaped heads with yellow flowers, later flatter with flowers turning orange. From the center of each flower emerges a long pale yellow style with a pink thickened tip that is bent slightly clockwise, giving the entire head the appearance of a pincushion. Its flowers can be found between July and December. It is called grey-leaf fountain-pincushion or rainbow pincushion in English. L. grandiflorum is an endemic species that can only be found in nature in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum formosum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum formosum is a large upright shrub of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high, from the family Proteaceae. It grows from a single trunk and its branches are greyish felty. The softly felty leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, 6+12–10 cm (2.6–3.9 in) long and 14–20 mm (0.55–0.79 in) wide. The flower heads are flattened and about 15 cm (5.9 in) across, and consist of bright yellow flowers from which long, styles emerge which are strongly clockwise bent just below the white, later pink thickened tip. From above, the heads look like turning wheels. It is called silver-leaf wheel-pincushion in English. It flowers during September and October. It is an endemic species of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum innovans</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa

Leucospermum innovans is an upright evergreen shrub with many pustules growing on the lower branches, wedge-shaped leaves, and oval, flower heads that are yellow on the outside, but with scarlet stripes on the inside of the perianth claws, with long styles sticking far beyond the perianths, jointly giving the impression of a pincushion. It is called Pondoland pincushion or Transkei pincushion in English. Flowers occur on and off between July and December, but flowering peaks in September and October.

<i>Leucospermum pluridens</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from southern South Africa

Leucospermum pluridens is a large upright evergreen shrub of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has leathery, oblong to wedge-shaped leaves of about 7½ cm long and 2½ cm wide, deeply incised near the tip with seven to ten teeth. It has initially yellow, later carmine coloured flower heads. The 2 cm long bracts have slender, recurved tips. From the center of the perianth emerge long styles that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. It is called Robinson pincushion in English and Robinson-kreupelhout in Afrikaans. Flowers can be found between September and December. It naturally occurs in the south of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum vestitum</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum vestitum is an evergreen, upright to more or less spreading shrub of up to 2½ m (9 ft) high and wide from the family Proteaceae. It has greyish, seated, oblong, 2–3 inch long leaves with two to four teeth near the tip and large, showy two-toned flower heads that are bright orange at first by and age to brilliant crimson. From the center of the perianth emerge long styles, higher up bending towards the center of the head, that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. It is called silky-haired pincushion in English and bergluisie in Afrikaans. It can be found in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and flowers from July until January, peaking October and November.

Leucospermum profugum, the Piketberg pincushion, is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is an endangered species, only known from three close locations in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It has hairless and leathery inverted lance-shaped to oblong leaves tipped with mostly three or four teeth and flattened egg-shaped flowerheads of 9–12 cm (3.5–4.7 in) in diameter, that consist of initially yellowish-orange flowers that later change to salmon pink. From the center of the flowers emerge almost straight styles that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. Flower heads can be found between late September and December.

<i>Leucospermum pedunculatum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum pedunculatum is an evergreen, low shrub of 15–30 cm (5.9–11.8 in) high spreading from a single stern upright stem, from the family Proteaceae. The powdered or hairless line-shaped to somewhat sickle-shaped leaves are 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) wide. The stalked, individually set flower heads are globe-shaped, 2½−3 cm in diameter consist of initially white to pale cream flowers that eventually turn carmine. From the center of the flowers emerge straight styles that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. It is called white-trailing pincushion in English. It flowers from August to January, peaking in September. It is an endemic species that is restricted to a narrow strip on the south coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum secundifolium</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum secundifolium is a low, evergreen shrub that grows along the ground, the tip of the branches slightly rising, which has been assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrowly elliptic leaves with a distinct leafstalk, and few-flowered and very small heads of 1–1½ cm (0.4–0.6 in) across. It is called stalked pincushion in English. The sweetly scented flower heads may be found around early December. It is an endemic species that only grows in a small area of the Western Cape province of South-Africa.

<i>Vexatorella alpina</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from Namaqualand, South Africa

Vexatorella alpina, the Kamiesberg vexator, is an evergreen, upright shrub of up to about 1½ m high, in the family Proteaceae. It has entire, long inverted egg-shaped, bluish grey, leathery leaves of 3–4½ cm (1.2–1.8 in) long and 5–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide on a distinct stalk, and globular flower heads of about 2 cm (0.8 in) across at the tip of the branches, and consisting of pale pink flowers with extended, thick-tipped styles. The plants are flowering from September to November. It is an endemic species that is restricted to the Kamiesberge in South Africa.

<i>Vexatorella latebrosa</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape, South Africa

Vexatorella latebrosa, also known as the Robertson vexator, is an evergreen, upright shrub of up to about 1½ m high, from the family Proteaceae. It has entire, long inverted egg-shaped, bluish grey, leathery leaves that are line-shaped to very narrowly spade-shaped in outline, 5–6½ cm (2.0–2.6 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 in), and mostly solitary globular flower heads at the end of the branches of 2½–3 cm (0.8 in) across with scented, pink to carmine flowers with extended, styles with a thickened tip. The plants are flowering from August to September. It is an endemic species that is restricted to the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Mimetes saxatilis</i> Endemic shrub in the family Proteaceae from South Africa

Mimetes saxatilis or limestone pagoda is an evergreen, upright, rarely branching shrub of 1–2¼ m (3⅓–7¼ ft) high, assigned to the family Proteaceae. The approximately oval leaves are 3½–5 cm (1.4–2.0 in) long and 1½–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) wide with a blunt, thickened, reddish tip or with three crowded teeth. It has cylinder-shaped inflorescences topped by a crest of green leaves, further consisting of heads with 12-22 individual bright yellow flowers, each in the axil of a flat, green leaf. It is an endemic species that is restricted to limestone outcrops in the Agulhas plains in the very south of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is considered an endangered species. Flowering may occur between July and December, but is unreliable in its timing, dependent on sufficient moisture availability.

References

  1. 1 2 Mwangoka, M., Ndangalasi, H., Kindeketa, W., Luke, W.R.Q., Kabuye, C., Kalema, J., Minani, V., Kelbessa, E., Gereau, R.E. & Malombe (13 May 2009). "Commiphora madagascariensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 8 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 "Commiphora madagascariensis - Madagascar Corkwood". www.flowersofindia.net. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  3. "Commiphora madagascariensis Jacq – Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College & Hospital" . Retrieved 2022-06-08.