 The species name honors Scottish botanist John Boswell, 1710 - 1780 (incidentally uncle of writer James Boswell).In 1998, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned that one of the primary frankincense species, "Boswellia sacra", is "near threatened".Frankincense trees are not covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, but experts argue that "Boswellia" species meet the criteria for protection.