A boswellia dioscoridis seedling – a rare sight on Socotra, as they are all eaten by the ever present and insatiable goats. Due to the goats this and all other boswellia species are under severe threat as they a re unable to regenerate. Without human intervetion these species will slowly go extinct. Fortunately there are several regeneration projects with several enclosures scattered around Socotra, where goats are unable to do any harm.
Boswellia dioscoridis is one of at least 8 species of Boswellia found only on Socotra. It is distinguished from the other species (bullata and ameero) with grayish or bluish green leaves.
Elevation: 482 meters.
This is the complete list of all the 10 Boswellia species found in the Socotra Archipelago:
Boswellia ameero
Boswellia asplenifolia
Boswellia bullata
Boswellia dioscoridis
Boswellia elongata
Boswellia nana
Boswellia popoviana
Boswellia scopulorum
Boswellia socotrana
Found only on the island of Samha:
Boswellia samhaensis
In addition there are numerous hybrids and varieties that will keep botanists busy.
Read more:
The challenges in seed regeneration of the endemic Boswellia species on Socotra.
Last updated on 17 October 2023
