Burseraceae

Boswellia sacra

The balsam tree family ( Burseraceae ) are a family of plants of the order of the soap tree -like ( Sapindales ). There are resinous, woody plants with pantropischer distribution. Also the Commiphora myrrha Commiphora is one of the balsam tree plants. - You are not to be confused with the genus balsam trees ( Myroxylon ) of the family Leguminosae ( Fabaceae ).

Description

Vegetative characteristics

This resin- leading, woody plants grow as trees or shrubs.

The alternate or rarely opposite permanently arranged on the branches leaves are imparipinnate, reduced or sometimes three parts rarely up on a sheet. The stomata are anomocytisch. Stipules may be present or absent.

Generative features

The flowers are borne in racemose inflorescences or aged men. The unisexual or hermaphrodite flowers are small and radial symmetry. The three to six sepals are imbricat or valvat. The three to six petals are fused or free rare and also imbricat or valvat. Usually a conspicuous ring-or cup-shaped disc is present. There are the same number or twice as many stamens as petals present; they put on at the base or at the edge of the disc. The stamens are fused free or rarely at their base. The anthers are dorsifix, rare adnat, have two counters and open with a longitudinal slot. The Upper ovary is constant and usually two to fünfkammerig. Per ovary chamber are usually two, rarely formed a mostly anatrope ovule. The simple style ends in an undivided or two-to five-lobed stigma.

The fruits are mostly drupes, containing from two to five casts, often it is opening pseudo - capsule fruits. The seeds have a membranous testa and the embryo has two mostly membranous, rarely fleshy cotyledons and a top permanent Radicula.

Dissemination

The Burseraceae family is native to the tropical regions of both hemispheres.

System

The Balsameaceae family was erected in 1824 by Carl Sigismund Kunth in Annales des Sciences Naturelles (Paris ), 2, p 346. Type genus is Bursera Jacq. ex L.. Burseraceae Kunth is a synonym for Balsameaceae Dumort ..

Within the order Sapindales the family of Burseraceae is most closely related to the families Anacardiaceae and Kirkiaceae.

The balsam tree family contains 18 genera and 550 species and are divided into three tribes, the tribe Bursereae turn into two Subtriben. Not completely clear within the family was the exact position of the genus Garuga .. Molecular genetic studies confirmed the reproduced here systematics largely, however, the results indicate that the two are not Subtriben be sister.

• Tribus Protieae Protium Burm. f: With about 90 species, mainly in the Neotropical region, but also in parts of tropical Asia.
• Crepidospermum Hook. f
• Tetragastris Gaertn.

• Tribus Bursereae subtribe Boswelliinae Aucoumea Pierre, with only one type: Okoume ( Aucoumea klaineana Pierre )

• Arabian Frankincense ( Boswellia sacra ), also Somali incense

• Beiselia Forman: Monotypic genus with the only kind: Beiselia mexicana Forman: It is native to Mexico.

• Bursera Jacq. ex L.: With about 80 species, mainly in the Neotropics, for example: Bursera simaruba

• Myrrh ( Commiphora myrrha )

• Tribus Canarieae Canarium L.: With about 75 species mainly in tropical Africa, Asia Pacific to north-eastern Oceania and on islands, for example: Canarium luzonicum ( flower) A. Gray
• Canarium ovatum Engl