Myrrh Resin / Myrrh Gum Resin / Herabol Myrrh / Commiphora Myrrha Resin
CAS Number: 9000-45-7
EINECS Number: 232-543-6
Source
Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin that contains an oleoresin essential oil and originates from the sap of certain tree species of the genus Commiphora.
Myrrh is primarily derived from Commiphora myrrha, a large shrub or small tree commonly known as the African Myrrh, Herabol Myrrh, Somali Myrrh, or Common Myrrh, which is native to the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen and Oman) and Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and northeast Kenya).
The pale-yellow gum resin exudes naturally from the stems and hardens as it dries in the air and sun, but the flow can be accelerated by wounding the tree.
A related species, Commiphora gileadensis, the Mecca Myrrh or Arabian Balsam tree grows in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, southern Oman and southeast Egypt.
Another related species, Commiphora erythraea, produces Opopanax, a gum resin sometimes called Sweet Myrrh or Bisabol Myrrh.
Properties
Myrrh is sold as clear or opaque yellow pea size lumps that are waxy and glossy. As Myrrh ages, it can darken to a brown or even black colour and white streaks can appear. Myrrh from the Arabian Peninsula is more brittle and gummy than Myrrh from Africa and does not have the latter’s white markings. Myrrh has been valued since antiquity for its pleasant fragrance.