Commiphora glandulosa Schinz

Large shrub or small tree up to 8 m. tall; outer bark peeling in grey papery strips from the dark green under-bark; both long-and short-shoots spine-tipped, grey with well-marked circular lenticels; exudate very scanty, not aromatic.. Leaves a vivid green, becoming olive-yellowish when old, those on short-shoots simple, those on long-shoots sometimes 3-foliolate with lateral leaflets up to half the size of the central; petiole 1–3 mm., or, in leaves on long-shoots, up to 15 mm. long, usually, like the basal part of the lower surface of the lamina, covered with minute glandular hairs, sometimes with some rather longer non-glandular hairs as well; lamina rather leathery with 5–8 principal lateral veins on each side which form angles of ± 70° with the midrib; ultimate vein network very prominent beneath, the midrib grooved in its basal part, spathulate-obovate, rounded apically, with 10–18 small teeth on each side, up to 55 mm. long and 24 mm. wide.. Male flowers dull red, 3–7 together in shortly glandular-pubescent cymes, peduncle, branches and pedicels in all up to 8 mm. long; bracteoles 0.3 mm. long; calyx glandular-pubescent, 1.8 mm. long including 0.7 mm. ovate lobes; petals 4.3 mm. long, recurved at the tip; filaments 3.0 and 1.5 mm., anthers 0.7 and 0.5 mm. long.. Fruit subsessile, subglobose but slightly pointed, ± 10 × 9.5 × (4 + 6) mm.; pericarp 2-valved, unusually thick (1–2 mm.); pseudaril bright red, 4-armed but the arms wide and may perhaps sometimes coalesce; stone black, markedly rugose, ± 6.5 × 7 × (2.5 + 4) mm.; apical pits large, shield of dehiscence faintly marked; sterile locule humped and dorsally ridged, the stone thus appearing ± triquetrous when viewed from above.. Fig. 3/17–20, p. 10.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in hot arid areas with a marked dry season. It grows in areas with a rainfall below 100 mm per year. It can grow on a range of soils providing they are well drained. In southern Africa it grows between 30-1,550 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

The gum is bitter but edible. The root has a sweet tasting water eaten in times of drought.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.