Burseraceae
Boswellia

Boswellia papyrifera (Caill.) Hochst.

First published in Flora 26: 81 (1843)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Nigeria to Eritrea and NE. Uganda. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Burseraceae, J.B. Gillett. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Trees up to 10 m. tall with a 2–3 m. clear bole, diameter at breast height up to 50 cm.; bark smooth, pale, peeling in wide strips; slash reddish or streaky brown and white, exuding a fragrant resin; young branches pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 20–40 cm. long, grey pubescent-tomentose; petiole 3–30 mm. long; leaflets 13–25, oblong-lanceolate, subfalcate, sessile; rounded, truncate or subcordate at the base, crenate or bicrenate at the margin, attenuate apically, with ± 11 pairs of principal lateral veins, up to 8 cm. long near the middle of the leaf, shorter above and below; a tiny caducous basal pair usually present just above the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white or pinkish in pubescent semi-precocious compound racemes up to 30 cm. long; pedicels 3–6 mm. long in flower, up to 12 mm. in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx ± 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals elliptic, ± 5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments glabrous, ± 3 mm. long, narrowing gradually from the base; anthers ± 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disc minutely pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary glabrous, sessile, ovoid, ± 1.5 mm. long; style ± 1.5 mm. long and 0.7 mm. in diameter; stigma globose, ± 1 mm. in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit glabrous, ± 22 mm. long, 7–8 mm. wide, widest ± 9 mm. below the apex; nutlets shield-shaped ± 5 mm. wide and 6 mm. vertically including a 1 mm. apical spine, the other 3 angles blunt.
Figures
Fig. 2/1, p.6.
Habitat
Stony hillsides in dry wooded grassland; 1200–1500 m.; rainfall 500–800 mm.
Distribution
U1 NE. Nigeria to N. Ethiopia
[FTEA]

Burseraceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A savannah tree (Boswellia dalzielii), similar to the last.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0