Sudanese frankincense

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Sudanese frankincense
• elephant-tree
• elephant tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Boswellia chariensis
• Amyris papyrifera
• Ploesslea floribunda
• Boswellia occidentalis
• Boswellia odorata

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Sapindales, it is classified under the family Burseraceae and the genus Boswellia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse distribution across several key regions of the African continent. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is specifically noted within the borders of Nigeria. Moving into West-Central Tropical Africa, the species can be found in both the Central African Republic and Cameroon. The distribution extends further into Northeast Tropical Africa, where it inhabits the territory of Chad. Finally, its geographical range reaches into Eritrea, marking its presence in the northeastern portion of the continent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Boswellia papyrifera is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located high above the ground on woody stems, a structural adaptation that defines its primary life form. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, retaining its foliage consistently rather than shedding it seasonally. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle, a phanerophyte growth strategy, and evergreen deciduousness enables the species to maintain physiological activity and structural stability within its ecological niche.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Boswellia papyrifera is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree. This self-supporting species exhibits significant variation in stature, with plant heights ranging from a minimum of approximately 3.66 meters to a maximum of about 12.19 meters, maintaining an average height of roughly 8 meters.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Plant height max:

12.19214826 m

Plant height mean:

8 m

Plant height min:

3.657644477 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Boswellia papyrifera is characterized by specialized adaptations to arid and semi-arid environments, focusing on efficient water management and metabolic resilience. As a woody perennial, its physiological processes are geared toward surviving prolonged drought periods through succulent-like bark characteristics and deep root systems that facilitate moisture acquisition in rocky substrates. The plant exhibits a specialized secondary metabolic pathway responsible for the synthesis and secretion of triterpenes, specifically boswellic acids, which are produced within specialized resin ducts as a response to mechanical stress or injury. Regarding its nutrient acquisition strategies, Boswellia papyrifera does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, meaning it relies entirely on the availability of nitrogen within the soil profile. Its photosynthetic efficiency is optimized to maintain carbon assimilation under high thermal stress, often utilizing physiological mechanisms to regulate transpiration rates and prevent cellular dehydration.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Boswellia papyrifera has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem.

Stem

1. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Boswellia papyrifera has 12 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include BETA-SITOSTEROL, 11-Keto-beta-boswellic acid, 3alpha-acetoxy-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, 3alpha-acetoxy-27-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-24-oic acid, Boswellic acid.

BETA-SITOSTEROL

1. Journal of natural products
2. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

11-Keto-beta-boswellic acid

1. Journal of natural products

3alpha-acetoxy-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid

1. Journal of natural products

3alpha-acetoxy-27-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-24-oic acid

1. Journal of natural products

Boswellic acid

1. CNS drugs

Incensole

1. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

beta-Amyrin

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

beta-Amyrone

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

beta-Boswellic acid

1. Journal of natural products

beta-Elemonic acid

1. Journal of natural products

Conditions

Boswellia papyrifera has 10 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Madurella mycetomatis, Multiple sclerosis, angiogenesis, eumycetoma, fatigue.

Madurella mycetomatis

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Multiple sclerosis

1. Advanced pharmaceutical bulletin

Angiogenesis

1. BMC cell biology

Eumycetoma

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Fatigue

1. CNS drugs

Functional performance

1. CNS drugs

Mycetoma

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Nocturia

1. CNS drugs

Scotoma

1. CNS drugs

Tremor

1. CNS drugs

Preparations

Boswellia papyrifera has 3 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Resin, oleo-gum resins, stem bark extract.

Resin

1. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine

Oleo-gum resins

1. Bioorganic chemistry

Stem bark extract

1. Journal of natural products