The Social and Economic Significance of Natural Gum and Resin in the Woodlands of South Omo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Table 3

Summary of gum and resin bearing tree species and their local use for both districts in South Omo Zone.

Species	Life form	Product name	Local use as medicine	GFC	FOD	FU	FFF	SC	S
Sterculia africana	T	Myrrh	Used as additive	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Acacia senegal	T/S	Gum arabic	Used to heal stomach discomfort	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Acacia seyal	T	Gum talha	Gum used to treat dysentery	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Acacia tortilis	T	Gum	Gum used to increase blood clotting	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Boswellia neglecta	T/S	Incense	Incense fumigation healing headache	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Commiphora africana	T/S	Hagar	Used to treat snakebite and skin wound	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Commiphora boranensis	T/S	Myrrh	Used for wound treatment	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Commiphora bruceae	T/S	Opoponax	Used for folk medicine/perfumery	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Commiphora myrrh	T	Pure Myrrh	Used to treat stomachache and disinfections of male genital organ	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Commiphora schimperi	T/S	Myrrh	Used to stop calves and sheep breastfeeding	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Sterculia africana	T	Myrrh	Used as additive	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Acacia nubica	T/S	Gum gumero	Gum used to treat dysentery	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes

Life form: T: tree, S: shrub. Additional use: GFC: gum for chewing; FOD: fodder; FU: fumigation; FFF: food during famine; SC: source of cash; S: sanitation. Source: field survey (2018/19).