BOSW E'LLIA, a genus of balsamic plants belonging to the natural order .4 myridacae. One of the species is believed by Cole brooke to be the Alflavor of Theophrnstus, and the Thttrea virga of the Romans. (' Asiatic Researches,' vol. ix.) It appears that the gum-resin called olibantun is the frankincense that was used by the ancients in their religious ceremonies. Linntene was of opinion that it was yielded by the Lycinn juniper ; but that plant is a native of the south of France as well as of the Levant, and the bobwhite of that country deny that any such substance is produced by their juniper. The Greeks obtained their frankincense from Arabia_ The Arabians call olibanum both Lubin and Cuudur ; but as hensoin is most lifted at the present day for religious purposes, the Mohammedan writers of India on Materia Modica apply only the term Cundur to olibantan. This Cundur has been ascertained by Messrs. Colebrooke, blunter, and Roxburgh to be yielded by Basotho tharifera or B. sei-rata. It is a large timber-tree found in the moun tainous parte of India, yielding a most fragrant resin from wounds made in the bark. Its leaves are pinnate, and consist of about ten pairs of hairy serrated oblong leaflets, each of which is from an inch to an inch and a half in length. The flowers are pale pink, small, and numerous. The calyx is 5-lobed, the corolla of 5 downy petals, the disk a fleshy crenelled cup, and the stamens 10, alternately shorter. The fruit is a 3-sided, 3-valved, 3-celled capsule, containing a single-winged pendulous seed in each cell.
From this Roxburgh distinguishes as a different species BDnaellia 'globes, a plant. also yielding a resin which is used for incense and as in some parts of India. It from the last in having no hairs on its heaves, in its leaflets being often toothless, and in its flowers being panicled.
A substance analogous to olibanum, and used in a similar way in various parts of the world, is procured from several different trees, such as, in America, the Croton niten, (Schwartz), C. thurifcr (Kunth), C adipatus(Kunth): in Columbia, Baillieria nerrifolia (Kunth)yields the American frankincense ; the Amyris (Rica Taeamahaca, Kunth) ambrariaca (Linn.), yields also the resin eoumier, likewise called American frankincense.
Lactic apetala (Jacq.) also yields a substance similar to frank incense.
Olibanum occurs in commerce of two kinds, the Arabian and East Indian. The former kind is now seldom met with, and its origin is a subject of doubt; the latter is obtained from the tree above described, and to it we limit our remarks. There are two varieties or degrees of -fineness of it, the best called 'olibanurn electrum,' or ' in granie,' some-, times called 'thus minim' or 'thus masculum' : the other is termed `olibanum commune,' or 'in sortie,' also 'fcemineum.' The first occurs in pieces varying from the size of a hazel-nut to that of a walnut, or larger, which are roundish or irregular in shape, of a light yellowish colour, varying to red or brown in some pieces, opaque or semi transparent, the outside often covered with a white powder. and upon being pounded the whole becomes a white powder. It is very • friable, and breaks with a dull, sometimes even, sometimes splintery fracture.
The meoeud sort is generally in larger pieces, mostly of a dirty-gray or fawn-colour, and intermingled with pieces of wood and other impurities.