Boswellia spp

Boswellia_sacra.jpg

NAME:  Boswellia spp

FAMILY: Burseraceae

COMMON NAMES: Frankincense, Olibanum, Olibano, al-maṣṭikaالمصطكىs

LOCAL NAMES: Juguuhi

USEFUL PART(s): Bark

GENERAL USES:

  • Boswelia spp are used as a source of frankincense

  • It is used for religious activities

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

  • China

  • Somalia

  • India

  • South Arabia

  • Cameroon

  • Nigeria

 

WHY IS IT GREEN?

Boswellia spp medicinal values include

  • Anti-inflammatory

  • Anti snake venom

  • antiproliferative effect on tumors

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

FUN FACT

  • Boswellia spp are flowering plants of moderate-sized, consisting both trees and shrubs, and are indigenous  to tropical regions of Africa and Asia

  • There are four major species of Boswellia which produce true frankincense; Boswellia carteri, Boswellia  frereana, Boswellia  papyrifera, and Boswellia serrata.

FURTHER READINGS

Attorre, F., Taleb, N., De Sanctis, M., Farcomeni, A., Guillet, A., & Vitale, M. (2011). Developing conservation strategies for endemic tree species when faced with time and data constraints: Boswellia spp. on Socotra (Yemen). Biodiversity and Conservation, 20(7), 1483–1499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0039-7

Younoussa, L., Nukenine, E. N., & Esimone, C. O. (2016). Toxicity of Boswellia dalzielii (Burseraceae) Leaf Fractions Against Immature Stages of Anopheles gambiae (Giles) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae). International Journal of Insect Science, 8, 23–31. https://doi.org/10.4137/IJIS.S37188