balm of Gilead
American Heritage Dictionary:
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balm of Gil·e·ad
(gĭl'ē-əd, -ăd') 
n.
n.
- Any of several trees or shrubs of the genus Commiphora, especially C. opobalsamum, of Arabia and Somalia.
- See myrrh (sense 1).
- A poplar tree of hybrid origin, with sticky, aromatic, resinous buds and heart-shaped leaves, cultivated as a shade tree.
- A shrubby plant (Cedronella canariensis) in the mint family, native to Madeira and the Canary Islands, having a large, lilac-to-violet corolla with two lips.
[After GILEAD, known for its balm.]
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balm of Gilead
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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balm of Gilead
balm of Gilead (gĭl'ēəd), name for several plants belonging to different taxonomic families. The historic Old World balm of Gilead, or Mecca balsam, is a small evergreen tree (Commiphora gileadensis, also once called C. opobalsamum) of the family Burseraceae (incense-tree family) native to Africa and Asia and the source of the commercial balm of Gilead; it is referred to in the Bible in Jer. 8.22. The Ishmaelites from Gilead were bearing balm when they bought Joseph from his brothers. Balm of Gilead is still in high repute for healing in some countries. The American balm of Gilead is a species of poplar (Populus candicans) of the family Salicaceae (willow family) which has large balsamic and fragrant buds. The tree is seldom seen in the wild but was formerly a favorite dooryard tree of the northern states. The buds were used in domestic medicine. This poplar is closely related to, and sometimes considered a variety of, the balsam poplar (P. tacamahaca), which has also been called balm of Gilead and tacamahac. The name balm of Gilead has also been used for the balsam fir and for a herbaceous aromatic, shrubby plant (Dracocephalum canariense or Cedronella canariensis) of the family Labiatae (mint family) native to the Canary Islands and cultivated in parts of the United States.
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Balm of Gilead
For literary mentions of "balm in Gilead" or "balm of Gilead", see Balsam of Mecca. For other uses, see Balm of Gilead (disambiguation).
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2011) |
Balm of Gilead is a balm made from the resinous gum of the North American Balm of Gilead (Populus × jackii) tree[1] or from related species such as the balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera),[2][unreliable source?] which is also sometimes called Balm of Gilead.
Populus × jackii, also known as P. × gileadensis, is the hybrid between balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) and the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), occurring occasionally where the two parental species' ranges overlap. This hybrid is also sometimes planted as a shade tree, and occasionally escapes from cultivation.[1] P. balsamifera is also known as P. tacamahaca and P. trichocarpa, and is widespread in boreal North America. The name Populus candicans has been variously used for either P. balsamifera or P. × jackii; it is currently considered a synonym of P. balsamifera.
The balm takes its name from the allusive Biblical phrase "balm in Gilead", referring to the balm or balsam carried from Gilead by the caravan of merchants to whom Joseph was sold by his brothers (Genesis chapter 37). In all likelihood, this ancient trade item was what is now known as Balsam of Mecca, produced from the tree Commiphora gileadensis (syn. C. opobalsamum), native to southern Arabia, a relative of the source of myrrh.
Balm of Gilead is also an English common name of a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Canary Islands, Cedronella canariensis.
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See also
References
- ^ a b Werthner, William B. (1935). Some American Trees: An intimate study of native Ohio trees. New York: The Macmillan Company. pp. xviii + 398 pp..
- ^ http://www.familyherbalremedies.com/balm_of_gilead.html
Sources
SEPASAL (Database of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (UK) = http://www.kew.org/ceb/sepasal/) Felter, HW Lloyd Ju. King's American Dispensatory (18th edition). Sandy/Eclectic Medical Publications; 1898 [1983]
External links
- Recipe for Balm of Gilead Salve
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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