" Lost Tree " resurrected from the dead...

[Silas_Sancona]

First came the successful germination / cultivation of 2K old seed from an ancient lineage of Phoenix dactylifera,  now scientists have resurrected  another arid- adapted relict of the past which may also be an entirely new species within the Genus Commiphora..

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/bible-tree-sheba-jerusalem-ancient-seeds-dna-b2620808.html

For anyone unfamiliar w/ this fantastic group of drought adapted trees,  Commiphora ( and related Genus Boswellia ) are the African / Middle-eastern equivalent of Bursera and Pachycormus in the new world.
 

While mainly of African / Middle Eastern origin, the one exception to that rule within the genus is Commiphora leptophloeos ( Imburana ) which occurs in eastern Brazil and possibly S.E. Bolivia.


Planted side by side, w/out any prior knowledge of how to tell apart, or labels,  one might assume all four genus belonged to the same genus,  especially since these trees occupy very similar habitat niches where each occurs and, in many cases, exhibit very similar physical characteristics.. 


Several species within  Bursera,  Commiphora,  and Boswellia  are also considered important due to fragrant compounds  contained in the sap produced when a branch or trunk is cut.  Of these, Copal / Palo Santo ( several Bursera sps.   )  Myrrh,  < " true " myrrh coming only  from Commiphora myrrha >,  and Frankincense,  Boswellia sacra   have been used by humans for thousands of years.  Anyone who has attended a Catholic mass, esp. around the holidays, is probably familiar with the sweet, yet p ine-y scent of Frankincense filling the air.

Like some Copal- producing Bursera species in Mexico and S. America,  because of the popularity of both Frankincense and Myrrh in various parts of the world, both species are considered threatened in habitat due to over-collection / overly -aggressive resin collection techniques.  Other species of both Genus are easier to find in cultivation, and can also produce aromatic sap / resin.

Like Bursera, while their African / middle eastern cousins can be grown as small bonsai- esque specimens in pots,  they'll look better when grown in the ground  -as they should be.



An interesting side note:   While they might exhibit similar physical traits,  and / or grow in the same habitats where both occur,   some similar looking trees that could be mistaken for Bursera ..or Commiphora are not considered members of the same sub- family of Anacardioideae as Bursera, Commiphora, and Boswellia ( = Burseraceae ).

Mexican -genus Pachycormus  and Amphipterygium  for example,  are lumped in with the main section of the Cashew family that includes Cashews and Sumacs ( = Anacardioideae ). Cotinus, which i've heard some folks lump in w/ the Euphorbia family,  is also a Sumac relative.

Cyrtocarpa, AKA: the " Neotropical Plums " from Mexico and Baja,  ...and Operculaicarya, from Madagascar,   are tucked within the same Cashew sub-family as Spondias / Mombins ( Spondiadoideae )

On the other hand, several genus of massive, lush looking rainforest trees, <  Protium, Tetragastris, and Beiselia in the Americas / Cararium and Pachylobus  in the old world  are tucked within Burseraceae, despite some big differences in preferred habitats, and/ or physical characteristics.