Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Coleb.

 
  • Family : BURSERACEAE
    (Bursera Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : SALAI FAMILY
  • Family (as per The APG System III) : Burseraceae
  • Synonym(s) : Boswellia glabra Roxb.; Boswellia serrata var. glabra (Roxb.) Bennett; Chloroxylon dupada Buch.-Ham.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Colebr.
  • Common name : Indian Olibanum Tree, Indian Frankincense, White dammer
  • Vernacular name :
    • Shallaki, Salai (Hindi)
    • Madi, Chitta, Dhupada mara (Kannada)
    • Kungiliyam, Kungli, Andaka, Guggulu maram (Tamil)
    • Tellaguggilamu, Anduga (Telugu)
    • Salia (Oria)
    • Shallaki (Sanskrit)
    • Salai, Salphali, Salpal (Marathi)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Deciduous forests and on the Ridges
  • Comments / notes : Extinct in Sri Lanka. Hills up to 900m in gravely soil; in dry deciduous forests. A green gum resin that exudes from the wounds of bark is used for incense and medicinally as diaphoretic, astringent and to make ointments for sores. Wood pulp used for newsprint
  • Key identification features : Bark yellow or greenish-ash-coloured, exfoliating in thin papery smooth flakes. Leaves crowed near the ends of branches with serrate margin
  • Flower, Fruit : January-August
  • Distribution :
    • Andhra Pradesh : Guntur district, Kurnool district, Kadapa district, Vishakapatnam district, East Godavari district, West Godavari district
    • Telangana : Mehboobnagar district
    • Kerala : Idukki district
    • Maharashtra : All districts of Maharashtra
    • Odisha : Angul district, Puri district, Bargarh district, Bolangir district
    • Tamil Nadu : Salem district, Vellore district, Tiruchirapalli district, Coimbatore district, Dharmapuri district, Salem district, Villipuram district, Cuddalore district
    • Haryana : Gurgaon district
  • Native : India, Sri Lanka
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • Endemism : India
  • World Distribution : India, West Himalaya
  • Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
  • Literature :
    • Pullaiah et al., 2002 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 1
    • J.L.Ellis, 1987- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 1
    • H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1
    • R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District
    • Sudhakar Reddy, C et al., 2009. Tree Wealth of Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India
    • N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka
    • Matthew, K.M., Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983
    • Neginhal, S.G. 2011. Forest trees of the Western Ghats includes Eastern Ghats Deccan Plateau
    • Henry, Kumari & Chithra (1983). Flora of Tamil Nadu, India vol. 1
    • Sasidharan, N. 2011. Flowering plants of Kerala. DVD, V 2, KFRI
    • Maheshwari K.J (1963). Flora of Delhi: 98-99
  • Read more :
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2024). India Flora Online. http://indiafloraonline-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Boswellia serrata. Downloaded on 1 July 2024.

Botanical Description

Herbarium Specimen(s)

Line Drawings

Field Image(s)

India Distribution

World Distribution

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