Commiphora Wighti
Family : Burseraceae
Common Name : Gum-gugul, Indian Bdelliu
Hindi Name : Guggul
Bengali Name : Guggula
Telugu Name : makishakshi guggulu, Guggipannu
Tree Characteristics :
It is a shrub or small tree, reaching a maximum height of 4 m (13 ft), with thin papery bark.[3] The branches are thorny. The leaves are simple or trifoliate, the leaflets ovate, 1–5 cm (0.39–1.97 in) long, 0.5–2.5 cm (0.20–0.98 in) broad, and irregularly toothed. It is gynodioecious, with some plants bearing bisexual and male flowers, and others with female flowers. The individual flowers are red to pink, with four small petals. The small round fruit are red when ripe.
Nursery Practice :
Guggulu can be propagated by seed and vegetative method. Germination through seed is very poor. Vegetative propagation through stem cutting is most common and successful method. Farming care is also necessary f or proper growth. Conservation can be effected by knowledge of collection methods and awareness.
Raising propagules :
The planting stock for raising the crop can be prepared in a nursery through seeds, stem cuttings or air layering of 5–8year-old mother plants. Only the black-coloured seeds are viable and sown during March to June, preferably in polybags. One seed may produce
more than one seedling due to its polyembryonic nature. However, due to poor germination, two seeds are sown in each polybags. Seeds germinate within 7–10 days after sowing in the rainy season. Leafless stem cuttings are planted in the nursery in May. Similarly, air layering can be done during rainy season in July–August; roots develop in 15–20 days after setting.
Propagule rate and pretreatment :
Approximately, 100 g of black seeds are required for raising plantation in 1 hectare of land at a spacing of 2 m × 2 m. No treatment of seed is required. Stem cuttings planted without any treatment show approximately 90% rooting. However, cuttings can be pretreated with guggulu solution (100 mg/litre) or IBA (indole-3-butyric acid @10 mg/litre) to hasten rooting and to achieve better survival rate.
Economic Use:
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A yield of 120–130 kg oleo-gum resin is obtained per hectare after about eight years.
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Commiphora wightii is sought for its gummy resin, which is harvested from the plant's bark through the process of tapping. In India and Pakistan, guggul is cultivated commercially. The resin of C. wightii, known as gum guggulu, has a fragrance similar to that of myrrh and is commonly used in incence and perfume. It is the same product that was known in Hebrew, ancient Greek and Latin sources as bdellium.
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The gum can be purchased in a loosely packed form called dhoop, an incense from India, which is burned over hot coals. This produces a fragrant, dense smoke. The burning coals which let out the smoke are then carried around to different rooms and held in all corners for a few seconds.
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Comiphora wightii has been a key component in ancient Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine. However, because of its overuse, it has become so scarce in its two habitats in India.
