141 



Vernac. names. — Omel Barka (Kuka, VogeT) ; Kadige (Kuka, 

 Elliott) ; Oanka (Somali, Holmes) ; M'gazoo and Katatee (Ugami, 

 Cent. Africa, Grant). — African Bdellium ; African Myrrh ; Le 

 Baumier Bdellium (Sebire). 



Kuka, Bornu ; Kworra (Niger). 



This tree is one of the sources of African myrrh or bdellium, a 

 drug resembling the true myrrh {Commiphora myrrha, and other 

 species). It is a gum-resin obtained largely in Senegal and 

 Abyssinia ; from the latter place it is exported via Berbera to 

 Bombay, and thence to London. From Senegal and French 

 Guinea it is exported chiefly to France. It comes sometimes 

 mixed with Gum Arabic (Acacia arabica). According to Parker 

 (Pharm. Journ. [3] x. p. 82) it is one of the spurious gums found 

 in Myrrh as imported, and is met with in large tears like opaque 

 bdellium, but the granulation is less coarse, and the surface is 

 traversed by deep cracks ; it is very hard, the conchoidal fracture 

 appears slightly opaque, of a dull bluish stony hue, with a 

 characteristic resinous margin ; reddish and translucent in thin 

 layers ; almost odourless, and of feebly bitter taste. 



Like the Myrrhs in general it yields a volatile oil. 



African bdellium is used in Pharmacy for making plasters 

 (Planchon & Collin, Drog. Simpl. ii. p. 552). Both African and 

 Indian bdellium are sometimes in demand among varnish makers 

 (Holmes, in Pharrn. Journ. [4] vii. 1898, p. 365). 



The wood is burnt by Beriberi women of Bornu, for the purpose 

 of fumigating their clothes (Elliott, Herb. Kew) ; a similar use is 

 also recorded on a specimen of the gum-resin collected by Dr. Vogel, 

 near Kuka (Mus. Kew). 



According to Grant (Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. p. 44) the tree has 

 the appearance of the English Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), but 

 more stunted, and is used in Central Africa for making fences. 



Ref. — " Myrrh, Its Composition and Impurities," Parker, in 

 Pharm. Journ. [3] x. 1879, pp. 81-81.— " Myrrh," in Pharma- 

 cographia, Fluckiger & Haubury, pp. 110-116 (Macmillan & Co., 

 London, 1879). — " Myrrh and Bdellium" in Kew Bull. 1896, 

 pp. 86-95. — " Bdellium d'Afrique," in Les Drogues Simples 

 d'origine Vegetale, Planchon & Collin, ii. p. 552 (Octave Doin, 

 Paris, 1896). — " Myrrh and Bdellium," Holmes, in Pharm. Journ. 

 [4] vii. 1898, pp. 547-548 ; viii. 1899, pp. 26-28 and pp. 77-80, 

 reprinted in pamphlet form by the Pharmaceutical Society. — 

 "Myrrh and its Official Preparations," Alcock, in Pharm. Journ. 

 [4] xix. 1904, pp. 894-896.—" Trade in Aloes. Civet, Myrrh, and 

 Incense" from Aden, in Journ. Soc. Arts, lii. 1904, pp. 763-761. — 

 " The Identity of the Myrrh Tree," Holmes, in Pharm. Journ. [4] 

 xxii. 1906, pp. 254-257, illustrated. 



Pachylobus, G. Don. 



Pachylobus edulis, Don ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 327 [Ganarium 

 edule, Hook, f., in Oliver Fl. Trop. Afr. i. p. 327]. 



III.— Engl. Bot. Jahrb. xv. 1893, p. 100, t. 3 (Canarium Saphu, 

 fruit) ; Engl. & Prantl, Pflan. iii. pt. 4, p. 212 {Pachylobus Saphu, 

 fruit, as in preceding) ; Hook. Ic. PI. tt. 2566, 2567 ; Thonner, 

 Blutenpfl. Afr. t. 76, 



