Commiphora kua (R.Br. ex Royle) Vollesen

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree, up to c. 6 m tall, spiny; bark yellowish, greyish or brownish, peeling off in papery strips or scrolls; branchlets glabrous or puberulous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1-foliolate or often 3-foliolate on long shoots, glabrous or puberulous, subsessile or on petiole up to 2(–17) mm long; blade elliptic-lanceolate to obovate, elliptic or suborbicular, 0.3–4.5(–8) x 0.2–2.5(–3) cm, truncate, rounded or acute at the apex, dentate to serrate or crenate, or entire or subentire, the lateral leaflets in 3-foliolate leaves much smaller than the middle one

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers sessile or on up to 2 mm long pedicels; male flowers 1–8 together in clusters or ± condensed cymes; female flowers solitary or 2–3 together

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 1.5–2.5 mm long, glabrous or puberulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 3–6 mm long, glabrous or puberulous, yellowish or reddish

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits obovoid, often asymmetrically so, ellipsoid or subglobose, sometimes somewhat beaked, c. 5–13 x 3–9 mm, sessile or on up to 4 mm long stalk; pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril with 4 lobes or arms; stone 4–8 x 3–7 mm, sterile cell sometimes ± humped distally.

Distribution

N1–3; C1, 2; S1–3 East Africa, S Arabia

Ecology

Altitude range 40–1300 m.

Vernacular

Didin, dililiqo, goah, golalo, gowlello, hodai, ilka adayi, ilka deis, kukar, malo wa harod, raxanreeb, wedu, xagar, xuubley (Somali).

Note

Specimens with puberulous branchlets, leaves and flowers have been treated as C. gowlello or C. kua var. gowlello (Vollesen 1990; Gillett 1991). In Somalia more or less puberulous plants are found throughout the range of the species, but the difference is gradual. There is a correlation between some of these taxa and different habitats, and obviously some of the variation is also geographically correlated on a broader scale.

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Spiny glabrous shrub or small tree, sometimes subscandent, up to 3(–5) m. tall; trunk grey, the outer bark peeling in horizontal papery strips exposing the green under-bark, exudate sticky, not, or hardly, scented.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves often rather leathery and subpersistent, those on short-shoots sometimes 1-foliolate but usually some having tiny (under 3 mm. long) rather caducous narrowly lanceolate entire lateral leaflets, those on long-shoots often with larger lateral leaflets; petiole on short-shoots 0.5–3 mm. long or up to 9 mm. on luxuriant long-shoots; lamina elliptic-lanceolate, rounded or acute at the apex, cuneate or attenuate basally, with 9–12 small teeth on each side, up to 40(–50) × 18(–27) mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers greenish yellow, sessile or almost so in precocious clusters at the ends of short-shoots or among the leaves. Females 1–3 together, with petals ± 3 mm. long. Males in clusters of 4–6; calyx ± 1.4 mm. including triangular teeth 0.5 mm. long; petals 5 mm.; filaments 4 and 2.2 mm., anthers 0.6 and 0.4 mm. long.

sex Male

Males in clusters of 4–6; calyx ± 1.4 mm. including triangular teeth 0.5 mm. long; petals 5 mm.; filaments 4 and 2.2 mm., anthers 0.6 and 0.4 mm. long.

sex Female

Females 1–3 together, with petals ± 3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit subglobose, slighdy pointed, 6–8 × 5 × (2 + 4–5) mm.; pericarp 2-valved, ± 0.5 mm. thick; pseudaril with 4 arms, that on the sterile locule are narrower than the other 3 which are rather broad; stone smooth or obscurely carunculate, 4–5.5 × 4–4.2 × (1.3–1.8 + 2.8–3) mm., the apical pits well developed, the shield of dehiscence very obscure.

Figures

Fig. 5/10–13.

Habitat

Semi-evergreen thickets in the coastal belt; 2–960 m.; rainfall 600–950 mm.

Distribution

K4 K7 T3 T6 T8 Z

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

A very spiny shrub up to 4 m. tall, glabrous except for a tuft of yellowish hairs sometimes present at the leaf-base; stems cylindrical, bark yellowish or greyish brown, peeling in small transverse strips which curl into scrolls; twigs stiff, straight, tapering, ± 2.5 mm. in diameter 4 cm. from the tip; slash reddish with a milky exudate which is almost odourless and hardens to a yellowish red rather rubbery resin.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly simple, on long-shoots sometimes 3-foliolate but as they are subsessile they seem to be tufts of 3 leaves; petiole, if present, under 1 mm. long; lamina cuneate-obovate with 1–2(–3) large broad rather symmetrical teeth close to the apex on each side, 10–18 × 8–12 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers appearing with the leaves; ♂ on pedicels up to 1.6 mm.; calyx 2.2 mm. including triangular lobes 0.6 mm. long; petals linear, 5 mm. long; filaments 3 and 2 mm., anthers 0.7 and 0.5 mm. long; ♀ on pedicels up to 1.2 mm. long; calyx 1.6 mm. including triangular lobes 0.5 mm. long; petals greenish yellow, spreading at the tip, 3.3 mm. long; style ± 1.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit obovoid, ± 7 × 5.5 × (2 + 3) mm.; pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril with 4 arms separated by narrow gaps, the arms over the sutures and fertile locule broad with wavy edges, those over the sterile locule narrow and linear; stone 5 × 5 × (1.5 + 2.2) mm., carunculate with well-marked ridges on the sutures and sterile locule and large apical pits; sterile locule humped distally; fertile locule with a distinct shield of dehiscence (fruits with 2 fertile locules have been seen in Ethiopia but not yet in Kenya).

Figures

Fig. 4/10, 11, p. 16.

Habitat

Open Acacia, Commiphora bushland; 60–1300 m.; rainfall 230–260 mm.

Distribution

K1 K7

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Spiny glabrous (except for base of leaf lamina) shrub or small tree up to 4(–6) m. tall; outer bark yellowish grey, peeling from the pale green under-bark in papery scrolls or less often in massive white strips; exudate faintly scented forming a gum-resin; twigs grey.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous except for a few long flexuous yellowish hairs usually present at the base of the lamina, usually 1-foliolate on the short-shoots, often hetero-3-foliolate or, less often, subequally 3-foliolate on the long-shoots; petiole 0–2(–33) mm. long; lamina elliptic or narrowly obovate, elliptic-cuneate at the base, rounded or acute at the apex, crenate-serrate with 6–16 teeth on each side or, rarely, subentire, 15–45(–60) mm. long, 7–25(–30) mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers usually,precocious, 3–8 together in greatly condensed cymes, the pedicels 0–1.5 mm. long; calyx tubular, 2.2–2.5 mm., including triangular lobes ± 6 mm. long; petals linear, spreading and reflexed at the tip, 5–6 mm. long; filaments 3.5–4 and 2.5–3 mm., anthers 0.7 and 0.5 mm. long. Female flowers 2–3 together; pedicel under 0.5 mm.; calyx ± 2 mm.; petals ± 5 mm.; stamens vestigial; ovary ± 1.5 mm., style ± 1.5 mm., stigma capitate, lobed.

sex Male

Male flowers usually,precocious, 3–8 together in greatly condensed cymes, the pedicels 0–1.5 mm. long; calyx tubular, 2.2–2.5 mm., including triangular lobes ± 6 mm. long; petals linear, spreading and reflexed at the tip, 5–6 mm. long; filaments 3.5–4 and 2.5–3 mm., anthers 0.7 and 0.5 mm. long.

sex Female

Female flowers 2–3 together; pedicel under 0.5 mm.; calyx ± 2 mm.; petals ± 5 mm.; stamens vestigial; ovary ± 1.5 mm., style ± 1.5 mm., stigma capitate, lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit subsessile or on stalks up to 4 mm. long; asymmetrically obovoid, somewhat beaked, varying greatly in size, on average ± 10 mm. long (including the beak) × 7.5 × (2+ 4) mm.; pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril 4-armed, the arm on the sterile face shorter than the other 3; stone slightly rugose measuring ± 7.5 × 5.5 × (1.5 + 2.5) mm.; apical pits small, germination shield obscure; sterile locule slightly convex, not humped, apical view of fruit thus asymmetrically elliptic.

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

A spiny almost entirely glabrous shrub 0.5–2 m. tall; stems dark brownish black, the outer bark peeling transversely; twigs slender, ± 1.5 mm. across 4 cm. below the tip; exudate faintly scented, hardening to form small pale to dark yellow beads.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves always 1-foliolate on short-shoots, perhaps sometimes 3-foliolate on long-shoots; petiole 0–0.5 mm. long; lamina elliptic, cuneate-obovate or almost orbicular, with 2 or 3 broad obtuse lobes on each side, up to 11 × 9 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers subsessile, usually precocious, dark red, slender.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx sometimes puberulous, 1.5 mm. long including acute ovate 0.7 mm. long lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals linear, 3.7–4.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments 2.5 and 1.5 mm.; anthers 0.6 and 0.3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit subsessile, ± 7 × 2.5 × (1.5 + 2.5) mm. (and thus thicker than wide); pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril with 4 narrow linear arms, the facial arms often interrupted at the base; stone ± 5 × 2 × (1 + 2) mm., the sterile locule humped distally, the fertile locule thickest near its base (occasionally fruits with 2 equal locules occur); normal fruits with only one fertile locule are often bent over on the sterile side so that there is an angle of up to 60° between the axis of the pedicel and that of the fruit).

Figures

Fig. 3/4–9, p.10.

Habitat

Open Acacia, Commiphora bushland on red sandy loam; 360–390 m.; rainfall 230 mm.

Distribution

K1

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree up to 3 (–5) m. tall, glabrous throughout; trunk cylindrical, outer bark peeling in tough yellowish horizontal strips with large horizontally elongated lenticels; exudate milky, at first almost without scent but later developing a foul fishy odour, hardening to a white gum; twigs straight, pale when young, grey-black later.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1-foliolate, occasionally 3-foliolate on long-shoots; petiole 1–5(–17) mm. long; lamina narrowly elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate, tapering at the base, acute or rounded apically, the margin usually almost entire but sometimes dentate in unusually large leaves on vigorous long-shoots on saplings, 20–60(–80) mm. long and 5–15(–20) mm. wide normally, but up to 100 × 55 mm. exceptionally.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers appearing with the leaves, sessile or on pedicels under 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx green, angled, ± 2 mm. long including triangular lobes ± 0.4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals dull yellow, linear-spathulate, 4.5–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments 4 and 2 mm., anthers 0.8–1 and 0.7 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 8 mm. long, including a broad 1.5 mm. long beak, 5.5 mm. wide, 1.5 + 3 mm. thick; pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril 4-armed; stone smooth or somewhat rugose, 5.4 × 5 × (1 + 2.5) mm., the sterile locule not humped, almost flat, much shorter than the fertile one (occasionally in Ethiopia and N. Somalia both locules maybe fertile, the dimensions of the stone then being 5 × 3.5 × (2.5 + 2.5) but this has not yet been seen in Kenya).

Figures

Fig. 4/12–15.

Habitat

Acacia, Commiphora open bushland, usually on alluvium; 60–1075 m.; rainfall 220–270 mm.

Distribution

K1 K2 K7 T3

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Spiny glabrous shrub or small tree 1–3 m. tall; stems grey, outer bark peeling in strong horizontal strips; exudate milky, not or hardly scented.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves bright green, mostly simple, often hetero-3-foliolate on long-shoots, usually with a distinct petiole 0.5–1 mm. long; lamina narrowly oblong-obovate or obovate, cuneate below but truncate at the extreme base, rounded apically, with 1–4 crenations on each side which may be well marked though rounded and never sharp or so broad as to be almost obsolete, 7–20 mm. long, 4–12 mm. wide.

sex Male

Male flowers (often galled and then persistent) in 1–3-flowered inflorescences, with 0.3–0.6 mm. bracteoles, the combined peduncle and pedicel from as little as 1.5 to as much as 11 mm. long; calyx 1.8 mm. including 0.7 mm. lobes; petals pale reddish, narrow linear, widened near the tip, 4.6 mm. long; filaments 3.4 and 1.8 mm., anthers 0.8 and 0.6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers solitary, subsessile or on pedicels up to 2 mm. long; style 1–2 mm. long. Male flowers (often galled and then persistent) in 1–3-flowered inflorescences, with 0.3–0.6 mm. bracteoles, the combined peduncle and pedicel from as little as 1.5 to as much as 11 mm. long; calyx 1.8 mm. including 0.7 mm. lobes; petals pale reddish, narrow linear, widened near the tip, 4.6 mm. long; filaments 3.4 and 1.8 mm., anthers 0.8 and 0.6 mm. long.

sex Female

Female flowers solitary, subsessile or on pedicels up to 2 mm. long; style 1–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit almost always with one fertile locule, bent over towards the sterile locule so that the axis of the usually subpersistent style forms an angle of 40–60° with that of the pedicel, ± 5.3 mm. long (including a short beak) × 4 × (1 + 2.5) mm.; pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril with 4 narrow arms; stone smooth, 4 × 3 × (0.5 + 2.5) mm.; germination shield well marked; sterile locule slighdy humped distally.

Habitat

Acacia, Commiphora open bushland on red sandy soil; 780–850 m.; rainfall 230–250 mm.

Distribution

K1