Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this name.

Habitat:

This plant is widespread in Namibia and South Africa, where it colonizes semi-arid grassland environments.

Description:

Commiphora krauseliana is a dioecious shrub with an unusual appearance.

A species is “dioecious” When it has “male” and “female” individuals, namely plants that have only male flowers and plants that have only female flowers.

Although not very tall, in its natural environment it can reach 1-2 meters in height. But height is not its distinguishing feature. Its distinctive feature is its poise. This shrub has such long branches that it looks like a twisted, strange hair. It is a shrub, so it does not have a real trunk: the branches develop almost flat. They are elongated and sometimes creeping.

Commiphora krauseliana is a caudiciform plant, which means that it has caudex. The caudex is a basal enlargement of the trunk that allows the plant to store nutrients and water to cope with difficult living conditions in its desert and inhospitable natural environment.

Its leaves are linear and finely divided, so much to resemble those of fennel, even if it is really very difficult to confuse these two plants!

The flowers, both male and female, are small and have four white petals, with a subtle yellow tinge in the center.

Cultivation:

Growing this plant is not so difficult: a well drained substrate and adequate watering are important. Avoid excess water: this plant comes from South Africa! It is adapted to desert climates and if you water it too much, its swollen root will rot.

Put it in direct light if you live in a particularly humid climate: otherwise a semi-shaded, but still bright spot will be fine.

Once a year, if you can, before the beginning of spring, it would be good to give her fertilizer with a good percentage of phosphorus and potassium and a lower percentage of nitrogen.

Propagation:

The propagation of Commiphora krauseliana can be done both by cutting and seed.To take the cuttings, wait until the twigs have produced the first small leaves in spring. It is best to use rooting agents.

Propagation by seed is also possible: but you will have to get at least two plants: a male and a female, and you will have to become the pollinators, unless you live in Africa! You will need to take the pollen from the male plant’s flowers with a toothbrush and spread it inside the female flower of a female plant. If you succeed, in 50-70 days you can collect the seeds. Then sow them in a substrate to be kept humid from 2 weeks to a month, the time it takes for them to germinate.

Curiosity:

The name “Commiphora” comes from the Greek kommi, “gum” and “phorus”, hole. Many species of Commiphora in fact form gummy resins such as Mecca balsam and myrrh (extracted from C. myrrha), which are widely used in cosmetics and the production of incense.