COMMIPHORA DRAKE-BROCKMANII

This member of the Burseraceae family was given this name by Thomas Archibald Sprague in 1927. It found on the costal hills of Somalia, growing in a well drained soil or even grit with some water and some to lots of sun. The stem can grow to 70 centimetres height and a diameter of fifteen centimetres. The flowers are greenish.

The genera name from Greek kommi; 'gum' and Greek - phoros; 'carrying' for the balsam-like scented resin. The species name after Ralph Evelyn Drake-Brockman, 1875-1952, British doctor and army officer who served in South Africa (1899-1900). After leaving the army he joined the Foreign Office as medical officer and served in British East Africa, British Somaliland (Somalia), Uganda and Abyssinia (Ethiopia) until 1915. He was also a keen traveller and zoologist who collected natural history material and published mainly on mammals.