frankincense tree

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• frankincense
• olibanum-tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Boswellia carteri var. subintegra
• Boswellia bhaw-dajiana
• Boswellia bhaw-dajiana var. serrulata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae, order Sapindales, and family Burseraceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Boswellia, specifically the species Boswellia sacra.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution spanning across Northeast Tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In the African region, its presence is notably documented within Somalia. Moving into the Arabian Peninsula, it can be found throughout the various Gulf States. The species also maintains a significant range within the country of Oman. Finally, its geographical reach extends into the territory of Yemen.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Boswellia sacra is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years rather than completing a single reproductive cycle. As an evergreen plant, it maintains its foliage throughout the year, providing a continuous photosynthetic capacity that supports its slow growth and survival in arid conditions. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and permanent leaf cover enables the plant to withstand the environmental stresses of its native habitats while steadily developing its complex woody structure and resin-producing capabilities.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Boswellia sacra is characterized by its growth form as a tree, which typically reaches a mean plant height of approximately 4 m. The plant exhibits a woody structure, providing a sturdy and permanent framework for its development. It is a self-supporting species, meaning it does not require external structures for support as it grows.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Plant height mean:

4 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Boswellia sacra is characterized by specialized adaptations for survival in arid, semi-desert environments, focusing on moisture conservation and metabolic efficiency. As a drought-tolerant species, it employs robust mechanisms to manage water potential and minimize transpirational loss through thickened cuticles and regulated stomatal conductance. Its metabolic processes are geared toward the synthesis of complex triterpenoids, specifically boswellic acids, which are sequestered within specialized resin ducts throughout the bark and woody tissues. These secondary metabolites serve vital physiological roles, acting as chemical defenses against herbivory and pathogenic infiltration. Regarding its nutrient acquisition, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, instead relying on the uptake of inorganic nitrogen from the soil via its root system. This dependency necessitates a reliance on localized soil nutrient availability to support its slow growth cycles and the energetic demands of resin production.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Boswellia sacra has 111 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1-octanol, AKBA, ALPHA-PINENE, Incensole, Linalool.

1-octanol

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of molecular sciences

AKBA

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

ALPHA-PINENE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Incensole

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

Linalool

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of molecular sciences

resin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

1,8-Cineol

1. Dr. Duke

1-Octyl acetate

1. Dr. Duke

11-Keto-beta-boswellic acid

1. Dr. Duke

11-keto-boswellic Acid

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Activities

Boswellia sacra has 183 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Irritant, (-)-Chronotropic, (-)-Inotropic.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in medicine

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine

Irritant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)

(-)-Chronotropic

1. Dr. Duke

(-)-Inotropic

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

AChE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Acaricide

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Boswellia sacra has 29 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include inflammation, oxidative stress, Alzheimer disease, Alzheimer's disease, Aspergillus flavus.

Inflammation

1. Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society
2. Frontiers in medicine

Oxidative stress

1. Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society
2. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine

Alzheimer disease

1. Iranian journal of medical sciences

Alzheimer's disease

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Aspergillus flavus

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Aspergillus niger

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Aspergillus ochraceus

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Candida albicans

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Escherichia coli

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Boswellia sacra has 20 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include resin, gum resin, Aromatic gum, aromatic oleo-gum resin, cream formulation.

Resin

1. Bioorganic chemistry
2. Natural product communications
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
4. Frontiers in medicine

Gum resin

1. Frontiers in physiology
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Aromatic gum

1. Natural product communications

Aromatic oleo-gum resin

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Cream formulation

1. Frontiers in medicine

Crude extract

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Dichloromethane (dcm) extract

1. Fitoterapia

Essential oil

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Essential oils

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Ethanol extract

1. Frontiers in medicine