The genus of the myrrhs,
Commiphora, is the most species-rich
genus of
flowering plants in the
frankincense and
myrrh family,
Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of
shrubs and
trees, which are distributed throughout the (sub-) tropical regions of
Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, the
Arabian Peninsula,
India, and
Vietnam. The genus is drought-tolerant and common throughout the
xerophytic scrub,
seasonally dry tropical forests, and
woodlands of these regions.