Myrrh tree

Commiphora myrrha

The true myrrh, a thorny Commiphora of the Horn of Africa and Arabia whose gum resin exudes from cracked bark. Its furanosesquiterpenes give the bitter, medicinal smell known since Egypt.

· Atlas · Plant species

Commiphora myrrha
FamilyBurseraceae
OrderSapindales
HabitThorny small tree of dry scrub
GBIF occurrence records870

Materials

Origins

Recorded in (top countries)

  • Saudi Arabia 575
  • Somalia 73
  • Yemen 49
  • Ethiopia 31
  • Madagascar 11
  • Brazil 9
  • KE 8
  • United States 7

Data: PubChem, GBIF (retrieved 2026-09-09); descriptions by Benjuí.