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Concept
Burseraceae
Summary
The Burseraceae are a moderate-sized family of 17-19 genera and about 540 species of woody flowering plants. The actual numbers given in taxonomic sources differ according to taxonomic revision at the time of writing. The Burseraceae are also known as the torchwood family, the frankincense and myrrh family, or simply the incense tree family. The family includes both trees and shrubs; its species are native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Americas.
Because of taxonomic revision, as the family size (in terms of genera and species) differs according to the time period of study; so, too, does the family's higher-level relationships, including order. Burseraceae is a genetically-supported monophyletic group since APG III and is frequently cited within the Sapindales. It is recognized as a sister group to the Anacardiaceae.
The Burseraceae are characterized by the generally non-allergenic resin they produce in virtually all plant tissue and their distinctive smooth, yet flaking, aromatic bark. The origins of the family can be traced to the Paleocene (about 65 Mya) when Beiselia mexicana first diverged in Mexico. The subsequent divergences in the family lineage and migration of species in the Eocene (53 Mya) out of North America have led to the current distribution of the species being primarily associated with the tropics. Though the family likely originated in North America, the greatest genetic diversity presently is found in the Southern Hemisphere. Tabonuco (Dacryodes excelsa) and gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba) represent the economic, ethnobotanical, and ecological significance of the Burseraceae in the Western Hemisphere, while frankincense (Boswellia sacra) and myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) represent the same in the Eastern Hemisphere.
The Burseraceae trees or shrubs are characterized by resins (having triterpenoids and ethereal oils) that are present within the plant tissue from the vertical resin canals and ducts in the bark to the leaf veins.
Official source
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