Opopanax Resin

(Sweet Myrrh)

COMMON NAME
Standardized: sweet myrrh

BOTANICAL NAME
Commiphora sp.
Plant Family: Burseraceae

INTRODUCTION
Opopanax is a flowering perennial, producing small clusters of yellow flowers. It is native to Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, preferring warm weather, which enables it to produce greater qualities of its fragrant resin. To extract the resin, the opopanax is cut at the base of the plant, allowing it to seep out. Afterwards, it is dried in the sun, producing hard, golden colored chunks of resin.

SUMMARY
Often burned as incense, opopanax has a warm, earthy scent. The essential oil is used as a fixative in perfumery. In biblical times, opopanax was applied for minor wounds, but has since fallen out of disuse medicinally.

REFERENCES
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16170385
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/o/opopon10.html