I noticed that Amunda created a bit of interest in frankincense. As this touches indirectly on my Ph.D topic(archaeology) thought you might be interested to know a little more about it.F refers to different species of Boswellia esp. Boswellia Carterii Birdwood, the genuine F. tree of the family Burseraceae.Although S Arabia has about 15 Boswellia species the only ones to produce the resin, (F), are in very specific regions where the rainfall, temp.and soil are ideally suited. These regions include Mid coastal S. Arabia, Socotra(home of the dragon's blood tree!),Somalia and the Coromandel coast of India.

As we know F. like myrrh, was incredibly expensive and sought after in pre-Christian times as S Arabia grew most of it, and it had to be taken overland up to Gaza through the great Arabian caravan cities such as Timna, Shabwa, Marib(home of the Queen of Sheba)etc. It was essential in sacrifice for divine worship, it was burned at funerals,and was also put with basil to scent a corpse after death, and with other spices used for embalming;it was burn't by Yemeni Jews to encourage easy births for women; at festivals,weddings, to honour the living, and like myrrh(another resin)was greatly used in medicine and for purification.

When we visited Yemen and Oman the resins of F. and M. are still widely sold. In Oman a woman is still expected to perfume her clothes and the household each day by burning a mixture of F, M. and other aromatics.It's all v. fascinating!