''Bursera'' is a genus with about 100 described species
of flowering shrubs and trees varying in size up to high. It is the type genus for
Burseraceae
The Burseraceae are a moderate-sized family of 17-19 genera and about 540 species of flowering plants. The actual numbers differ according to the time period in which a given source is written describing this family. The Burseraceae are also know ...
. The trees are native (often for many species
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
) to the
Americas, from the southern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
south through to northern
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...
, in tropical and warm temperate forest habitats.
It is named after the 17th-century
Danish botanist
Joachim Burser.
Several Mexican species (such as ''
B. aloexylon'' and ''
B. delpechiana'') produce a type of wood known as ''linaloe'' (from
Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish ( es, español mexicano) is the variety of Dialect, dialects and Sociolect, sociolects of the Spanish language spoken in Mexican territory. Mexico has the largest number of Spanish speakers, with more than twice as many as in a ...
, from Latin , ).
They contain the aromatic oil
linalool
Linalool () refers to two enantiomers of a naturally occurring terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants. Linalool has multiple commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent (floral, with a touch o ...
.
A number of species from tropical
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
were once included in this genus, but are now treated in the genus
''Protium''.
Species
list sources :
[
]
Formerly placed here
*''Canarium paniculatum
''Canarium paniculatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Burseraceae. It is endemic to Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an isla ...
'' (Lam.) Benth. ex Engl. (as ''B. paniculata'' Lam.)
*'' Protium serratum'' (Wall. ex Colebr.) Engl. (as ''B. serrata'' Wall. ex Colebr.)[
]
Uses
* Caranna Caranna is a hard, brittle, resinous gum, obtained from the West Indian tree ''Bursera acuminata'' (family Amyridaceae) and the South American trees ''Protium (plant) carana'', ''P. altissimum'', and '' Pachylobus hexandrus''. It has an aromatic ...
, medicinal gum
Gallery
Image:Bursera citronella (syn B delpichiana) trunks at Hyderabad, AP W IMG 7219.jpg, '' Bursera penicillata'' trunks
File:Bursera citronella (syn B delpichiana) fruits & leaves at Hyderabad, AP W IMG 7070.jpg, '' Bursera penicillata'' fruits and leaves
File:Bursera citronella (syn B delpichiana) trunk at Hyderabad, AP W IMG 7071.jpg, '' Bursera penicillata'' trunk
References
External links
Burseraceae genera
{{Sapindales-stub