FLOBA OF ADEN . 
149 
shoots or fascicled at the ends of short unarmed branchlets, or even more 
or less approximate at the base of those short branches which are pro- 
duced into a thorn. 
In young* 3-folioIate leaves of the typical plant the central leaflet is 
always considerably longer than the lateral ones. The leaflets are 
sessile. In the older leaves the length of the lateral leaflets is at the 
most ^ or J of the central one, and in other cases, especially in forms 
with pointed leaves, \ or even y 1 ^. The central leaflet is oblong-linear, 
oblong-obovate or oblong-elliptic with rounded apex in cases where the 
leaf consists only of one leaflet, but long-pointed in 3-foliolate leaver 
The margin is usually crenate-serrate in all the leaflets, but forms with 
the margin entire can often be seen. 
The flowers appear twice a year, either on the leafless branches where 
they form dense fascicles at the ends of the short branchlets seated on 
very short peduncles, or in axillary cymes between the fascicles of leaves. 
In the latter case the peduncles are longer and are about as long as the 
calyx. The triangular bracts are often glanduloso-ciliate ; but all the 
other parts of the inflorescence are entirely glabrous. The calyx is shortly 
cup-shaped and divided into 3-angular teeth about half-way down 
during the time of flowering, and for about £ during the time of fruit- 
ing. The petals are 2-2^ times as long as the calyx. The fruit is 
globular-oval and at least twice as long as the peduncle, which is 
generally reflexed and scarcely thickened. 
The chief characteristics of Commiphora abyssinica may be sum- 
marized like this : Very short lateral leaflets ; very short petioles ; 
deeply divided calyx ; oval outline of the fruit with well-developed 
pointed apex ; glanduloso-ciliate bracts ; smooth putamen with a trans- 
verse furrow at the apex. 
Uses: — E. M. Holmes expressed his doubts (Pharmaceutical Journal, 
12th December 1896) as to whether Commiphora abyssinica produces 
myrrh, because neither the bark nor the fruit showed a bitter taste. 
Schweinfurth, however, states that the bark of specimens collected at 
Badjil is decidedly bitter. In the same place as well as in other locali- 
ties he observed that from incisions made in the bark there exuded a 
yellowish milky-opaque milchigtrub ”) juice which, in the open air, 
soon hardened into the resin known as myrrh. 
When Defiers travelled in the country of the Fadhlis in South 
Arabia, Commiphora abyssinica was pointed out to him as the plant 
from which great quantities of myrrh were brought to the market. 
The degree of bitterishness may be different according to the season 
and the branching-region of the same plant. 
