balsam

Balsam is a term used for various pleasantly scented plant products. These are oily or gummy oleoresins, usually containing benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, obtained from the exudates of various trees and shrubs and used as a base for some botanical medicines. They may be obtained from:

• Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), producing Canada balsam
• Balsam poplars (Populus section Tacamahaca)
• Commiphora gileadensis, producing Balsam of Mecca
• Myroxylon, producing Tolu balsam and Peru balsam

Balsam may also refer to:

• the balsam family of flowering plants, Balsaminaceae
• the plant genus Impatiens
• Riga Black Balsam (Rīgas Melnais balzams), a traditional Latvian herbal liqueur
• Friar's balsam, or Tincture of benzoin
• Arthur Balsam, the pianist
• Martin Balsam, the actor
• The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire
• Balsam, North Carolina, a town in the United States
• Great Balsam Mountains of North Carolina

See also

• Basamum
• Balm of Gilead
• Balsamic Vinegar

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