{{Short description|Oleo-gum-resin of Commiphora guidottii}} {{About|the opopanax of perfumery|the true opopanax|Opopanax (genus)}} thumb|Bisabol, the oleo-gum-resin of ''Commiphora guidottii'' '''Opopanax''' is the commercial name of '''''bisabol''''' or '''''bissabol''''', the fragrant oleo-gum-resin of ''Commiphora guidottii''. It has been a major export article from Somalia since ancient times, and is called '''''hebbakhade''''', '''''habaghadi''''' or '''''habak hadi''''' ('''''habbak haddi''''') in Somali. It is an important ingredient in perfumery and therefore known as '''scented myrrh''', '''sweet myrrh''', '''perfumed myrrh''' or '''perfumed bdellium'''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Thulin|first1=Mats|last2=Claeson|first2=Per|date=1991|title=The botanical origin of scented myrrh (bissabol or habak hadi)|url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02930711|journal=Economic Botany|volume=45|issue=4|pages=487–494|doi=10.1007/BF02930711|issn=0013-0001|jstor=4255391|s2cid=22229398 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Sometimes the oleo-gum-resin of ''Commiphora holtziana'' (often treated as a synonym of ''C. erythraea'' or ''C. kataf''), called '''''habak hagar''''', '''''habaq hagar ad'''''<ref name=":0" /> or '''''habbak harr'''''<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cufodontis|first=Georg|date=1956|title=Supplement: Enumeratio Plantarum Aethiopiae Spermatophyta (Sequentia)|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3666927|journal=Bulletin du Jardin botanique de l'État à Bruxelles|volume=26|issue=3|pages=345–440|doi=10.2307/3666927|jstor=3666927 |issn=0374-6313|url-access=subscription}}</ref> in Somali, is also sold under the name of opopanax.<ref name=":0" />
== Etymology == {{main|Opopanax (genus)#Etymology}} "Opopanax" originally refers to the gum resin from plants of the genus ''Opoponax'' which is used in herbal medicine rather than perfumery. In the early 20th century, the name "opopanax" was misapplied to bisabol in perfumery. Nowadays the true opopanax is seldom used and the commercial opopanax is almost exclusively bisabol. To distinguish bisabol from the true opoponax, it is often alternatively spelled '''opoponax''', and sometimes referred to as the '''opopanax of perfumery''' or '''perfumery's opopanax'''.<ref name=":0" /> For example, opopanax of perfumery is used in many iconic perfumes, such as Shalimar by Guerlain,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guerlain Shalimar |url=https://guerlain-perfume.ru/product/guerlain-shalimar/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Guerlain |language=ru-RU}}</ref> Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, Poison by Dior and many others.
== Botanical origin == The true botanical origin of perfumery's opopanax is a tree native to Somalia and Ethiopia, ''Commiphora guidottii'' <small>Chiov. ex Guid.</small>, known as ''hadi'' in Somali.<ref name=":0" />
It has been mistakenly believed that the opopanax of perfumery comes from ''Commiphora erythraea'' <small>(Ehrenb.) Engl.</small> or ''Commiphora kataf'' subsp. ''erythraea'' <small>(Ehrenb.) J.B.Gillett</small>, owing to historical misidentification.<ref name=":0" /> ''C. erythraea sensu stricto'' is narrowly distributed in the coastal region of the Red Sea,<ref name=":0" /> but ''C. erythraea sensu lato'' incorporates ''Commiphora holtziana'' <small>Engl.</small> which is widely distributed in East Africa,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gillett|first=Jan Bevington|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dRYfjgbtzHgC&pg=PA81|title=Flora of Tropical East Africa: Burseraceae|publisher=CRC Press|year=1991|isbn=978-90-6191-355-9|location=Boca Raton, FL, US|pages=81}}</ref> known as ''hagar ad'' or ''hagar'' in Somali.<ref name=":0" /> The oleo-gum-resin of ''hagar ad'' is sometimes sold under the name of opopanax or perfumed bdellium.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> This is not only because of historical misidentification,<ref name=":0" /> but also attributable to their similar scents.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Drake-Brockman|first=Ralph E.|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81470/page/n423/mode/2up|title=British Somaliland|publisher=Hurst & Blackett, Ltd|year=1912|location=London, England|pages=312–313}}</ref> The oleo-gum-resin of ''hagar ad'' (''C. holtziana'' or ''C. erythraea'') is considered the second strongest-scented bdellium after that of ''hadi'' (''C. guidottii'').<ref name=":1" />
== Uses == A resinoid is prepared from the oleo-gum-resin by solvent extraction.<ref>{{citation | author=Karl-Georg Fahlbusch | contribution=Flavors and Fragrances | title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry | edition=7th | publisher=Wiley | year=2007 | pages=107–108|display-authors=etal| title-link=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry }}</ref>
== See also == *''L'Opoponax'', a 1964 novel by Monique Wittig * ''Opopanax'' (genus) * Myrrh * Bdellium
== References == <references />
Category:Resins Category:Perfume ingredients Category:Incense material