No. 60 (30): POLIBOTANICA 60
Bursera fagaroides (Kunth) Engl. Burseraceae. “Copal blanco” or “torote.” A resinous shrub or small tree reaching up to 8 m in height, with thin bark that peels off in papery flakes. Leaves are compound, imparipinnate, with 3–9 leaflets, elliptic to lanceolate, 2–6 cm long. Inflorescences are axillary or terminal, bearing small greenish to yellowish flowers. The fruit is an ovoid drupe that splits into two valves at maturity, revealing a seed partially covered by a reddish aril. Native to regions from southern United States to central and southern Mexico, it grows in tropical dry forests and xerophytic scrublands at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,800 m a.s.l. The plant is rich in aromatic resins,
traditionally used to produce copal for ceremonial and medicinal purposes.
