Frankincense (also known as olibanum) is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae. The word is from Old French ('high-quality incense'). There are several species of Boswellia that produce true frankincense: Boswellia sacra (syn. B. bhaw-dajiana, syn. B. carteri), B. frereana, B. serrata (B. thurifera, Indian frankincense), and B. papyrifera. Resin from each is available in various grades, which depends on the time of harvesting. The resin is hand-sorted for quality. Etymology The English word frankincense derives from the Old French expression , meaning 'high-quality incense'. The word in Old French meant 'noble, pure'. Although named frankincense, the name does not refer to the Franks. The name of frankincense in Koine Greek (the language of the New Testament): (or ), is cognate with the name of Lebanon (); the same can be said with regard to Arabic, Phoenician, Hebrew, and . This is postulated to be because they both derive from the word for 'white' and that the spice route went via Mount Lebanon (). derived from or . The leading "o" may have come from , or from the Greek article o- or Arabic article al-. Other names include , , , , [löbān/Dhüno], [fooħ], ,. Description The trees start producing resin at about eight to 10 years old. Tapping is done two to three times per year with the final taps producing the best tears because of their higher aromatic terpene, sesquiterpene and diterpene content. Generally speaking, the more opaque resins are the best quality. Cheap resin is produced in the Horn of Africa, which is the Roman Catholic Church's major source. The main species in trade are: Boswellia sacra: South Arabia. Boswellia bhaw-dajiana (older spelling Boswellia bhau-dajiana): Horn of Africa. It is a synonym of Boswellia sacra Boswellia carteri (older spelling Boswellia carterii): Horn of Africa, Nubia. It was long considered an independent species, but in the 1980s it was determined to be a synonym of Boswellia sacra. Boswellia serrata (synonym Boswellia thurifera, Indian frankincense): India. Boswellia papyrifera: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan. Boswellia frereana: Horn of Africa. The resin is less bitter and the fragrance of incense is less "heavy" than Boswellia sacra. Contains no boswellic acids. Other notable species: Boswellia occulta: Horn of Africa. In 2019, it was discovered that Somali harvesters considered Boswellia occulta to be the same species with Boswellia carteri even though