Opopanax (perfumery)

This article is about the opopanax of perfumery. For the true opopanax, see Opopanax (genus).
Bisabol, the oleo-gum-resin of Commiphora guidottii

Opopanax is the commercial name of bisabol or bissabol, the fragrant oleo-gum-resin of Commiphora guidottii. It has been a major export article from Somalia since ancient times, and is called hebbakhade, habaghadi or habak hadi (habbak haddi) in Somali. It is an important ingredient in perfumery and therefore known as scented myrrh, sweet myrrh, perfumed myrrh or perfumed bdellium.[1]

Sometimes the oleo-gum-resin of Commiphora holtziana (often treated as a synonym of C. erythraea or C. kataf), called habak hagar, habaq hagar ad[1] or habbak harr[2] in Somali, is also sold under the name of opopanax.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Thulin, Mats; Claeson, Per (1991). "The botanical origin of scented myrrh (bissabol or habak hadi)". Economic Botany. 45 (4): 487–494. doi:10.1007/BF02930711. ISSN 0013-0001. JSTOR 4255391. S2CID 22229398.
  2. ^ Cufodontis, Georg (1956). "Supplement: Enumeratio Plantarum Aethiopiae Spermatophyta (Sequentia)". Bulletin du Jardin botanique de l'État à Bruxelles. 26 (3): 345–440. doi:10.2307/3666927. ISSN 0374-6313. JSTOR 3666927.