Opopanax

Opopanax or opoponax, refers to a kind of gum resin (natural substance that is a mixture of water-soluble gum and alcohol-soluble resin) obtained from a plant called πάνακες (Panaces, Panakes, Panax or Panacea), traditionally considered to have medicinal properties.  Pliny (Historia Naturalis) and Dioscorides (De Materia Medica) described various kinds of Panaces with uncertain identifications. However, according to Dioscorides, opopanax was obtained from a kind of Panaces named πάνακες Ἡράκλειον (Panaces Heracleum, Panaces Heraclion or Panakes Herakleion), which has been identified as Opopanax chironium, Opopanax hispidus and species of Heracleum.

In recent times, the commercial opopanax is actually bisabol or hadi obtained from Commiphora guidottii, and it is mainly used in perfumery. The resin of C. kataf (synonym: C. erythraea), known as hagar, is often sold as opopanax as well, though its scent is very different from that of hadi. The confusion between hadi and hagar is attributable to historical misidentification.

Etymology 
The name opopanax derives from Anglo-Norman opopanac, from Latin opopanax, from Hellenistic Greek ὀποπάναξ, from Ancient Greek ὀπός "vegetable juice" + πάναξ "panacea" (all healing). Panacea (Gk. πανάκεια) denotes a kind of savory, named for Panakeia, a daughter of Aesculapius.

The OED gives opopanax as the principal spelling, but lists opoponax as a variant spelling recorded from the 19th century.

Bisabol 
Bisabol or bissa bol (Hindi), also known as hebbakhade, habaghadi, habak hadi (Somali), is a major export article from Somalia since ancient times. The botanical origin of bisabol is Commiphora guidottii, not C. erythraea as generally has been presumed. Bisabol is often called sweet myrrh, while true myrrh from C. myrrha, known as hirabol or heera bol, is often called bitter myrrh.

Perfumery 
Bisabol is usually sold as "opoponax" and used as an ingredient in perfume. It is therefore called opopanax of perfume, perfumed bdellium, perfumed myrrh, sweet myrrh or scented myrrh to be distinguished from medicinal opopanax and true myrrh. A resinoid is prepared from the resin by solvent extraction. Steam distillation of the resin gives the essential oil, which has a warm, sweet, balsamic odor. Opopanax oil and resinoid are used in perfumes with oriental characteristics. An IFRA recommendation exists.

Bdellium 

Opopanax is also known as "perfumed bdellium".

Bdellium is a semi-transparent resin extracted from Commiphora roxburgii and from Commiphora africana. Both resins were used as incense. They are referred to by Pliny (Historia Naturalis, 12:36) as Bactrian and Nubian bdellium. The bdellium referred to by Dioscorides as "the bdellium imported from Petra" (De Materia Medica, 1:80) is probably the resin of Hyphaene thebaica, a species of palm.

See also 
 Storax balsam
 L'Opoponax, a 1964 novel by Monique Wittig

References 

Category:Resins
Category:Perfume ingredients
Category:Incense material