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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Opopanax

Opopanax \O*pop"a*nax\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?; ? vegetable juice + pa`nax, pa`nakes, a kind of plant: cf. F. opopanax.] The inspissated juice of an umbelliferous plant (the Opoponax Chironum), brought from Turkey and the East Indies in loose granules, or sometimes in larger masses, of a reddish yellow color, with specks of white. It has a strong smell and acrid taste, and was formerly used in medicine as an emmenagogue and antispasmodic.
--Dunglison.

Wiktionary
opopanax

n. 1 (context obsolete English) A gum resin obtained from the root of (taxlink Opopanax chironium species noshow=1), formerly used in medicine. 2 A perfume made from the gum resin of various trees. 3 The opopanax tree, (taxlink Acacia farnesiana species noshow=1)'', an acacia of America.

WordNet
opopanax

n. an odorous gum resin formerly used in medicines

Wikipedia
Opopanax

Opopanax, also known as opobalsam, refers to a number of gum resins (natural substances that are a mixture of water-soluble gums and alcohol-soluble resins) traditionally considered to have medicinal properties. Pliny ( Historia Naturalis) and Dioscorides ( De Materia Medica) described various kinds with uncertain identifications, which have been distinguished as:

  • A species of Centaurea
  • Lovage ( Levisticum officinale)
  • Yarrow ( Achillea millefolium)
  • Echinophora tenuifolia ( Umbelliferae)
  • Ferula opopanax, also known as Opopanax chironium (Umbelliferae)
  • Fig-leaved cow parsnip, Heracleum panaces (or other species of Heracleum)

In recent times, the main source of commercial opopanax is from species of Commiphora, particularly C. erythraea and C. kataf. (Some sources suggest the entire production is from C. erythraea var. glabrescens, a tree growing in Somalia.) Myrrh is also obtained from Commiphora species.

Opopanax (plant)

Opopanax is a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Species include:

  • Opopanax chironium (L.) W.D.J.Koch
  • Opopanax hispidus (Friv.) Griseb.
  • Opopanax persicus Boiss.

Usage examples of "opopanax".

For many days now he had lain in bed in a room exuding silver, crimson, and electric light, smelling of opopanax and of cigars.

People still washed themselves with soap made with oil of opopanax, a fragrant plant.

Here is the list: monophysite, mephitic, calineries, diapason, grimoire, adapertile, retromingent, perllan, cupellation, adytum, sepoy, subadar, paludal, apozemical, camorra, ithyphallic, alcalde, aspergill, agathodemon, kakodemon, goetic, and opopanax.