Boswellia dalzielii

Hutch.

Frankincense tree

Burseraceae Edible: Leaves - flavouring 15 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Boswellia dalzielii is a tree species in the family Burseraceae found in Africa. The bark of this plant is used in traditional medicines. Gallic and protocatechuic acids were isolated as the main antibacterial and antioxidant principles of the stem bark of B. dalzielii. 4'-Methoxy-(E)-resveratrol 3-O-rutinoside, incensole and b-sitosterol were also isolated.

Description

A tree. It grows 4-13 m tall. The bark is pale and papery. The flowers are white and have a scent. The petals can have red veins. The plant flowers before the leaves develop.

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as flavouring.

Medicinal Uses

The bark is used in traditional medicine.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the savannah.

Where It Grows

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, West Africa,

Cultivation

The small white flowers which may appear while the tree is leafless are fragrant. The tree is sometimes planted in northern parts of Ivory Coast and Upper Volta as an ornamental .

Other Uses

The bark contains a whitish exudate which dries readily and is friable. It is fragrant and is burned alone or with other fragrant resins to fumigate clothing and in rooms to drive out flies, mosquitoes, etc. It is used by Catholic Missions as a substitute for true incense It may be added to the juice of Acacia berries used in ritual mummifications practised by various tribes in N Nigeria. Along with an extract of bark of Vitex doniana, it is sometimes an ingredient of malam’s ink. It is planted as a village stockade on the Vogel Peak massif of N Nigeria (3) and often as a live-fence to bring prosperity (ba-samu) or to prevent (hanu) bad luck.