Denisophytum eriantherum (Chiov.) Gagnon & G.P.Lewis

No data

maintenanceAr.Item1 maintenanceAr.Item3

Not known

Miller & Morris (1988) wrote that: "The leaves, and even more so, the pods of this plant are toxic to livestock, especially to smaller or younger animals. Goats who browse the plants develop tremors and fits of of head-shaking - sometimes fatal in a young or sickly animal. The larger branches were formerly collected, and the dark red-brown heartwood was extracted, broken up and taken home to be used in the manufacture of various incense preparations. This heartwood was considered to be an acceptable substitute for the expensive imported [J, DA: ud] woods (the wood of various iris and peony species, sandalwood or aloeswood - Aquilaria malaccensis, or A. agallocha) on sale in the markets. It would be crushed and mixed with other ingredients, such as musk, myrrh, frankincense, perfumed oils, liquidamber (Liquidambar orientalis) or storax (Styrax officinalis) [J, DA: mi a] and the dried opercula of certain seashells [J, ... DA: hafur] - whatever the woman making the incense could afford or was available to her - and all the different ingredients were pounded and crushed together then spread out in the sun to dry. This dried powder [DA: baxxur, J: indox, indexit] was ket in little watertight boxes and was brought out and put on smoldering charcoal in clay burners to perfume and fumigate the living quarters and person. The clothes of the household too were fumigated by putting a clay pot of smoldering incense under a pyramidal wooden frame over which the clothes were draped and were left overnight until permeated with the fragrant smoke. Such clay pots, filled with charcoal embers over which various scented mixtures were scattered, were handed round to guests and visitors who perfumed their beards and head shawls with the fragrant smoke, or, if women, held the smoking pot under their skirts and wafted the smoke over their hair and headdress. Different ingredients were also ground repeatedly and more finely than for the incense mixtures, and were then dried and sifted carefully through a fine muslin cloth. This fine powder [J: mexiltot mesiltot] was used by younger women much as talcum powder is today. By adding more oils, and by cooking some of the ingredients in different concentrations, a perfumed paste or solid perfume could be made [J: ziod] which was rubbed into tiny pieces of cotton [J: nebzet] and sewn into the clothing of both men and women, small pieces also being tucked into the upper ear. Medicinally, ash of the dead wood was mixed with half its quantity of water and used as a lotion to treat skin abrasions and sores, especially itching sores on the body, such as those of scabies, ringworm or infected lice bites". (Ref. Plants of Dhofar). Ghazanfar (2007) mentioned that: "The leaves and pods are toxic to livestock. Traditionally the heartwood of the plant has been used as a substitute ud wood (Aquilaria agallocha) for the preparation of incense, and ash of dead wood made into a lotion(with water) to treat skin abrasions and sores such as those resulting from scabies, ringworm or infected lice bites". (Ref. Flora of Oman, vol. 2).

*POWO (2022). ""Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org *Ghazanfar, S. (2007). Flora of the Sultanate of Oman, vol.2: Crassulaceae – Apiaceae. Meise, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Scripta Botanica Begica, Vol. 36). ISBN 9789072619747 ISSN 0779-2387. *https://en.wikipedia.org *Miller, A., Morris, M. (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the Southern Region of Oman: Traditional, Economic, and Medicinal Uses. Published by Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman; ISBN 10: 0715708082 ISSN 13: 9780715708088. * https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org