Opopanax
Botanical name:
Opopanax chironium (synonyms: Laserpitium chironium L., Opopanax opopanax (L.) H. Karst., Pastinaca opopanax L.)
Commiphora erythraea, Commiphora kataf and other Commiphora species.
Synonyms:
female frankincense, bisabol myrrh, sweet myrrh
Family:
Commiphora species: Burseraceae, torchwood family
Opopanax: Apiaceae, Parsley family
Where to find this herb:
Commiphora species: North-East Africa; South Arabia, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya
Opopanax: South Europe
Part(s) used:
resin
Special constituents:
Correspondance:
Mars (Lee); Scorpio (Crowley)
Uses:
incense, aromatherapy
Opopanax, Mekkabalsem
Lægepastinak, Opopanax Most Opopanax is produced in Somalia. The name opopanax is derived from that of its original source, Opopanax chironium, but production today is almost entirely from Commiphora spp. The main source is the C. erythraea-C. kataf complex but resin is also collected from species such as C. guidottii and C. holtziana.
In the case of O. chironium, the part collected is the juice from the base of the stem. It's an oleoresin, reddish-yellow (according to Mrs. Grieves). The best quality is obtained from the most southernly-growing plants. I have not yet been able to obtain a sample of this, and so I cannot compare the two scents, but I hope to be able to do so in the future, as I have not found such a comparison anywhere. From Commiphora, it's the resin that is collected. The specie(s) are closely related to myrrh, but the scent of opopanax is quite different, sweeter and heavier.
Opopanax is not, to my knowlegde, used medicinally anymore. Another member of the Commiphora genus, C. mukul, is used to extract gugulipid. This is a product containing guggulsterones, and used for weight loss.
Crowley describes the scent thus: " There is an overpowering richness of the deliciously abominable. "