''Boswellia nana'' is a species of plant in the Burseraceae family endemic to the Yemeni island of Socotra. They are small trees or

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s, sometimes so bent that they are lying nearly horizontal to the ground. The habitat of ''Boswellia nana'' is arid, partly deciduous forest land on limestone escarpments, at altitudes from 300 to 550 m. Specimens are also known to grow on flat, paved limestone; ''B. nana'' is known from only in two populations, confined to an area of less than 20 km² in the northeastern part of the island. It is possible that ''Boswellia nana'' is a natural

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

between '' B. socotrana'' and another ''Boswellia'' species (though which other species is, as yet, unknown). Some evidence for this is found in a solitary ''Boswellia'' tree discovered growing at the bottom of limestone cliffs at Hamadero; it displays some characteristics of both ''B. nana'' and ''B. socotrana''. Furthermore, this tree is growing in an area that lies ecologically in between the habitats of both species, sharing certain qualities. However, ''B. nana'' was thought (by botanists Mats Thulin and Abdul Nasser Al-Gifri, in 1998) to be a smaller

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data ...

of '' Boswellia popoviana''.

References

nana Endemic flora of Socotra Threatened flora of Asia Vulnerable plants Plants described in 1971 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{sapindales-stub