Bosea cypria, as its name suggests, is a Cyprus endemic. Not by any means a spectacular plant to look at, nor is it particularly rare, or even uncommon, however it does have an interesting history. Its story goes back in time to the period before the continents as we know them today were formed.
The Bosea genus contains just 3 species. All have their origins on the shores of the giant, ancient Tethys Sea. Subsequent tectonic plate movement isolated them in specific areas, Bosea cypria in Cyprus, B. yevamora in the Canary Islands and B. amherstiana in the Himalaya.
This is not an isolated example. For instance the Cedrus genus has only 4 species and they follow much the same pattern as the Bosea. Cedrus brevifolia is confined to Cyprus, with C. libani close by in the Near East and Turkey. C. atlantica grows in Morocco/Algeria, not far from the Canaries, and C. deodara is found in the Himalaya.