Appearance
This species of "Boswellia" is a small deciduous tree, which reaches a height of 2 to 8 m, with one or more trunks. Its bark has the texture of paper and can be removed easily. It has compound leaves and an odd number of leaflets, which grow opposite to one another along its branches. Its tiny flowers, a yellowish white, are gathered in axillary clusters composed of five petals, ten stamens and a cup with five teeth. The fruit is a capsule about 1 cm long. The new leaves are covered with a fine down.Individual trees growing on steep slopes tend to develop some buttressing that extends from the roots up into the base of the stem. This forms a sort of cushion that adheres to the rock and ensures a certain stability.
Habitat
"Boswellia sacra" is abundant in Oman and southern Yemen in arid woodland, on the steep, precariously eroding slopes in the mountains of Dhofar, but it is most prevalent in northern Somalia."B. sacra" tolerates the most critical situations and often grows on rocky slopes and ravines, up to an altitude of 1,200 m, mostly in calcareous soil.
Predators
Recent studies have indicated that frankincense tree populations are declining due to overexploitation. Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seeds that germinate at only 16% while seeds of trees that had not been tapped germinate at more than 80%.Animals in Oman often browse on the tree's foliage, flowers, and seedlings, resulting in scant regeneration; the mature trees that remain are apparently dying.
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