Common name: Indian bdellium tree

Native to the dry, open woodlands of north-west India, this small tree is valued for its resin, which is used in both traditional and modern medicine.

It is a slow-growing, much-branched small tree or shrub reaching heights of up to 6 m (20 ft), though it is more commonly 2 to 3 m (6 to 10 ft) tall with a short trunk that divides into many, crooked branches armed with sharp spines. The bark is light grey to yellowish-white, thin and peeling off in paper-thin strips, exposing greenish underbark.

The leaves are simple or trifoliate, consisting of either one or three broadly oval, green leaflets with toothed margins and with an aromatic aroma when crushed. They are deciduous, falling off the tree in the dry season to conserve water, leaving the branches bare for months until the rainy season arrives and the new leaves start to grow.

The flowers are small, tube-shaped, brownish-red, rarely pinkish-white, unisexual, with female and males flowers on separate trees. They are borne singly or in clusters of two or three and bloom at the start of the dry season. Fertilised female flowers are followed by small, green, egg-shaped fruit that turn red when ripe, then split open, exposing yellow pulp inside.

Use

The stems, on wounding, yield a sticky, pale yellow oleo-gum resin, containing a mixture of essential oil, gum and resin in rough proportions of 60% resin, 30% gum and 1% essential oil. It is traded as 'Indian Bedellium' or 'Guggul' in its native range and is widely used there in traditional medicine and as an incense, and in western countries as a fixative in perfumery. It has an aroma reminiscent of cedarwood and is generally used as a substitute for Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha).

The trees are first tapped when they are about seven to ten years old. The stem is cut and left to exude for one to two weeks until the gum resin hardens and becomes a dull green or reddish-brownish mass. Subsequent collections are made every ten to fifteen days during the harvest season, which lasts through the dry winter months. Yields are around 700 to 900 gms (1.5 to 2 lbs) of gum resin per tree in a season.

Its slow-growth rate, poor seed germination and overexploitation for its resin has resulted in a substantial decline in wild populations. This has led to it being listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), bringing attention to its conservation needs.

Health use

The resin in its refined form, known as 'Gugulipid' has cholesterol-lowering, blood thinning and anti-inflammatory activity and is used in traditional Indian or Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of ailments ranging from obesity and lipid metabolism disorders to osteoarthritis.

Climate

Grows naturally in dry subtropical and tropical lowland climates, generally areas with annual lows of 17 to 23°C, annual highs of 30 to 35°C, annual rainfall of 200 to 500 mm and a dry season of 7 to 10 months.

Growing

New plants are usually grown from cuttings of young wood, planted out around twelve months after they have sprouted. It performs best on free-draining loam, sand and stony soils of a moderately acid to alkaline nature, generally with a pH of 5.0 to 8.0, and on sites with full sun exposure.

Problem features

There does not appear to be any record of it as a weed or as having naturalised outside of its native range. With its slow growth, shy fruiting habit and poor seed germination rate it is unlikely to emerge as a problem weed or invasive species. 

It has sharp spines that can inflict injury on the unwary.

Books

• Chevallier, A. 2000, Encyclopedia of herbal medicine, 2nd American ed., Dorling Kindersley, New York

• Farooqi, A. A. & Sreeramu, B. S. 2004, Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic crops, Hyderabad University Press, Hyderabad

• Goodin, J. R & Northington, D. K. 1985, Plant resources of arid and semiarid lands : a global perspective, Academic Press, Orlando

• Groom, N. 1997, The new perfume handbook, 2nd ed., Blackie Academic & Professional, London

• Hocking, D. 1993, Trees for drylands, International Science Publisher, New York

• Howes, F. N. 1949, Vegetable gums and resins, Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham, Massachusetts

• Randall, R. P. 2007, The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status, Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, Glen Osmond, South Australia

• Thomson, G. 2007, The health benefits of traditional Chinese plant medicines : weighing the scientific evidence, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Barton, Australian Capital Territory

• Wickens, G. E & Day, Peter R., 1928- & Haq, N & International Symposium on New Crops for Food and Industry 1989, New crops for food and industry, Chapman and Hall, London ; New York

Articles, Journals, Reports and Working Papers

• Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management, and Training. 2003. Harvesting of non-wood forest products: seminar proceedings. Ministry of Forestry of Turkey, Ankara.