Common Name: Indian Frankincense

General Information

Boswellia serrata is a medium sized deciduous tree with a light, spreading crown and somewhat drooping branches. It usually grows from 9 - 15 metres tall. The bole is usually short, 3 - 5 metres long, but is sometimes longer if grown in a fully stocked forest[, ].
The plant has a long history of medicinal use in India, with records going back over 2,000 years. The tree is harvested from the wild, especially for its gum and bark, which are traded locally and internationally. It is also used in replanting schemes for poor soils and is sometimes grown as an ornamental[]. It is a popular aveue tree in India[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Indian subcontinent[].

Habitat

Tropical dry deciduous forests, in very dry teak forests or in dry mixed deciduous forests at elevations up to 1,150 metres[]. Characteristically found on slopes and ridges, as well as on flat terrain, attaining a larger size on fertile soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the semi-arid to moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,150 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 33 - 42°c, but can tolerate 7 - 47°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -2°c or lower, but new growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 500 - 2,000mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. It grows well on neutral soils above gneiss, schist, quartzite, limestone and sandstone, and has the ability to thrive in the poorest and the shallowest of soils where most of its associates remain stunted[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7.4[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
The tree produces root suckers and responds well to both coppicing and pollarding[].
Plants are resistant to damage from fires[, ].
A mature tree yields about 1 - 1.5 kilos of gum a year[].

Edible Uses

Flowers[].

Seed[].

An edible gum is obtained from the plant[].

Medicinal

Boswellia serrata is a commonly used medicinal herb with a long history of use in Ayurveda.
Modern research has shown the presence of a gum, resin and essential oil[]. Phytosterol is reported to contain b-sistosterol[].
An alcoholic extract of the root has shown anti-cancer activity against human epidermal carcinoma of the nasopharynx[].
Alcoholic extracts of both the root and the fruit have shown CNS-depressant activity[].
Both fruit and stem extracts have shown hypoglycaemic activity[].
The non-phenolic faction of the gum resin has shown marked sedative and analgesic effects[].

The bark, and the gum obtained from it, are alterative, aperient, aromatic, demulcent, diuretic, emmenagogue and refrigerant[].
The gum resin is used in the treatment of chronic lung diseases, diarrhoea, dysentery, pulmonary diseases, menorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, gonorrhoea, syphilitic affection, piles and liver disorders[].
A paste made of the gum resin, combined with coconut oil or lemon juice, is applied to ulcers, indolent swellings, carbuncles, boils and ringworm[].
The oil extracted from the gum resin is prescribed with a demulcent drink in the treatment of gonorrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is a suitable species for re-forestation on poorer soils in areas with a mean annual rainfall of 500 - 1.250mm. It is valuable for reclothing dry sandstone hills which have been denuded of vegetation, where soil is markedly ferruginous and where complete protection against biotic factors is not always feasible. Under such circumstances, its ability to withstand the adverse effects of forest fires, its immunity to being browsed or lopped for fodder, its power of resisting the effects of insolation and drought, and its capacity for reproduction by seed, coppice and root suckers are great assets[].

Other Uses

A transparent, golden-yellow gum that hardens slowly is obtained from the plant[]. It is used in medicine[].
The tree yields a yellowish-green gum-oleoresin known as ‘salai guggal’ from wounds in the bark. This gum has an agreeable scent when burnt[]. It is said to be a good substitute for imported Canada balsam[].
The tree is also tapped for a resin called 'lobal', which is used as incense[].

A fibre obtained from the bark is used for cordage[].

The wood is of low quality, it is sometimes used for items such as cheap furniture, tea boxes, bowls, dishes etc, and as a source of pulp for paper production[, , ]. The wood has recently come into prominence as a raw material for pulp paper and newsprint. Experiments show that writing and printing papers of suitable strength can be prepared when 25 - 40% long-fibred bamboo pulp is mixed in the finish[].
The wood is used for fuel and for making charcoal[]. Charcoal made from it is particularly favoured for iron smelting[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a short viability and is best sown as soon as it is ripe.

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