frankincense
Enable an agent to recognise frankincense, assess the identity and condition of a particular lot, and determine suitable handling or use from its provenance and supporting evidence.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise frankincense, assess the identity and condition of a particular lot, and determine suitable handling or use from its provenance and supporting evidence.
Frankincense is an aromatic oleo-gum-resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae, commonly collected as hardened exudate and used as incense and in perfumery.
It can be Classify a sample as raw frankincense, a derivative, a blend or unresolved material.; Trace a resin lot to declared source taxa and harvest records while preserving gaps and mixing events.; Choose representative sampling and identity tests appropriate to the claim being assessed.; Sort, clean, grind or repackage resin while retaining the link between resulting portions and their parent lot.; Assign storage, quarantine or use dispositions from observed condition and applicable requirements.; Identify which origin, grade, sustainability or performance claims need additional evidence..
Distinguishing features
Botanical provenance identifies a Boswellia resin source; a fragrance description or the name 'incense' alone does not establish frankincense identity.
The material is whole oleo-gum-resin, whether intact or mechanically reduced, rather than only its distilled volatile oil or a selected extract.
A lot sold as pure frankincense must be distinguishable from incense containing added fragrances, binders, charcoal or other resins.
Tear appearance and odour provide screening observations; stronger species or purity claims require traceable provenance or an appropriate analytical method.
Scope
+ Raw frankincense tears, fragments and powdered resin
+ Declared and verified Boswellia source identity, including mixed or unresolved sources
+ Harvest, consolidation and trade provenance of a resin lot
+ Physical condition, composition, authenticity and contamination evidence
+ Suitability for a specified use and the limits of the evidence supporting it
- Boswellia taxa, populations and individual trees as independently managed organisms
- Myrrh and other aromatic resins sold alongside or substituted for frankincense
- Distilled frankincense essential oil and selectively prepared extracts as separate products
- Finished incense blends, perfumes, cosmetics and medicinal formulations
- Religious practices and clinical treatment protocols involving frankincense
Characteristics
- Material form
- tears | fragments | powder | mixed form Form affects inspection, sampling, handling and the visibility of foreign material.
- Botanical source identity
- Boswellia taxon record or records, with identification authority, evidence and unresolved alternatives Connects the resin to its source without assigning one species identity to all frankincense.
- Harvest and custody provenance
- linked harvest locations, collection periods, collectors, transfers and lot merges, with evidence gaps Supports origin claims and determines how far a lot can be traced.
- Processing history
- documented cleaning, sorting, drying, grinding, heating, extraction or additions; unknown steps explicit Determines whether the material remains within scope and whether observations are comparable.
- Physical condition
- observed colour, particle distribution, surface condition, clumping, odour and visible foreign matter Supports inspection while keeping descriptive observations separate from grade or authenticity conclusions.
- Moisture or loss on drying
- % by mass, identifying method, temperature and duration; distinguish water-specific measurement from total loss on drying Helps evaluate storage condition without mistaking all volatile loss for water.
- Composition and authenticity profile
- method-specific fingerprint or constituent concentrations, with units, sample identity and reference material Provides evidence for composition and substitution assessments within the method's demonstrated limits.
- Contaminant and foreign-material results
- analyte-specific units or foreign-material mass fraction, with detection limits and sampling method Allows suitability decisions against requirements for the intended use.
- Declared trade grade
- supplier or market grade, named grading system and stated criteria; ungraded | unknown Prevents a commercial label from being treated as a universal quality scale.
- Use disposition
- unassessed | accepted for specified use | restricted | quarantined | rejected, with decision basis Keeps acceptance tied to an actual use and evidence rather than a general claim of safety.
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 9 layers · 16 findings · 24 questions.
Resin identity Establishes the material sense of frankincense and the botanical evidence behind a lot's name.
The registry's living-domain placement and variable trade terminology can confuse the harvested resin with a tree taxon or a processed fragrance product.
Material boundary
Separates whole resin from source organisms, derivatives and compounded products.
Whole resin or derivative
Record the supplied material and transformations before deciding whether this model applies.
- Does 'frankincense' here identify harvested oleo-gum-resin, a source tree, an essential oil, an extract or a blend? boundary
- Has processing only changed particle size or cleanliness, or has it removed fractions or introduced ingredients? provenance
Botanical attribution
Links resin identity claims to source taxa and the evidence used to identify them.
Source taxon evidence
Preserve declared names, taxonomic resolution and confidence separately.
- Which Boswellia taxon or taxa are claimed, and which taxonomic authority resolves the supplied names? definition
- Does the attribution come from identified source trees, harvest documentation, analytical comparison or only a seller's label? provenance
Harvest and trade provenance Connects the resin to collection events, source populations and subsequent aggregation.
A trade origin or species label does not by itself establish where a resin lot was harvested or how source trees were managed.
Collection context
Records the origin and harvesting evidence relevant to the resin.
Resin collection record
Link collection place, period and documented harvesting practices without inferring them from appearance.
- Where and when was this resin collected, and is the stated location a harvest area or a trading location? provenance
- What records connect this harvest to tapping practices and the condition of its source trees or population? provenance
Lot aggregation
Tracks transfers, sorting and mixing that change what can be claimed about a lot.
Origin through merging
Maintain parent-lot relationships and distinguish documented mixtures from unknown aggregation.
- Which harvest lots, species declarations or origins were combined before this lot reached its current holder? provenance
- After splitting, sorting or mixing, which origin claims remain supported for each resulting portion? action
Composition and trade quality Separates observable resin properties, commercial grading and analytical identity evidence.
Colour, tear size, aroma and market grade answer different questions from purity or botanical identity.
Physical grading
Records inspection results and the specific conventions behind a grade.
Tear and powder assessment
Describe the actual sample and identify the criteria used to judge its commercial quality.
- What colour distribution, particle sizes, clumping and visible bark, grit or other foreign matter occur in a representative sample? measurement
- Which named grading convention supports the assigned grade, and which measured or observed criteria were used? definition
Analytical authenticity
Matches identity and purity claims to suitable tests and reference materials.
Claim-specific testing
Specify what an assay can establish about this sample and what remains unresolved.
- Which analytical method and authenticated reference materials support the claimed resin identity or reveal suspected additions? measurement
- Can the results distinguish the proposed species, mixtures or prior extraction, and where does the method lack resolving power? boundary
Condition and use decisions Connects storage history and sample evidence to a specific handling or use decision.
Acceptance for burning, fragrance processing or another application requires different evidence, and a resin's reputation cannot establish suitability for a particular lot.
Storage condition
Assesses exposure and changes affecting the retained resin.
Exposure and change
Record storage conditions and observed changes without assigning an unsupported universal shelf life.
- What packaging and exposure to heat, moisture, light or other odours are documented for this lot? provenance
- What changes in aroma, clumping, visible contamination or measured composition justify continued storage, retesting or quarantine? action
Intended-use qualification
Determines whether available evidence supports the proposed application.
Use-specific acceptance
Tie each disposition to the actual material, application and applicable acceptance criteria.
- What use is proposed, and which identity, contaminant or performance criteria must this resin meet for that use? action
- Does the supporting evidence concern this whole-resin material and exposure route, or a different extract, formulation or route? boundary
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- This describes the resin sense; the supplied PHY.LIV domain suggests an organism classification that should be checked.
- Verify accepted source-species names and synonyms, particularly the treatment of Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carterii.
- Conservation assessments belong to individual source taxa and populations; medicinal claims and compositional specifications require product-specific verification.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Boswellia sacra frankincense
- Boswellia serrata frankincense (Indian frankincense)
- Boswellia papyrifera frankincense
- Boswellia frereana frankincense (maydi)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Botanical nomenclature under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants - Boswellia followed by a species epithet - Identifies the source plant; frankincense itself is a material from multiple species, not a single taxon.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Burned as incense in religious ceremonies and domestic settings
- Used in perfumery as resin extracts and distilled essential oil
- Used in traditional medicinal preparations
- Processed into commercial botanical extracts and supplements
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Boswellic acid content - Varies with source species, extraction method and product; no universal range supplied - % by mass
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Adulteration or incorrect identification of the source species can compromise authenticity and consistency.
- Burning produces smoke and airborne particles that can irritate the respiratory tract.
- Contact with resin or concentrated fragrance preparations can cause irritation or allergic reactions.
- Excessive or poorly managed tapping can damage source trees.
- Resin, extracts and distilled essential oil have different compositions and cannot be assumed interchangeable.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Boswellia sacra is associated with southern Arabia and parts of the Horn of Africa.
- Boswellia serrata supplies Indian frankincense.
- Boswellia papyrifera and Boswellia frereana supply distinct frankincense materials from northeastern Africa.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Boswellia - Boswellia is the genus of source trees; frankincense is their harvested aromatic exudate.
- Myrrh - Myrrh is a separate aromatic oleo-gum-resin obtained principally from Commiphora species.
- Frankincense essential oil - The distilled oil contains volatile constituents and excludes much of the raw resin's nonvolatile material.
- Incense - Incense is the broader category of materials burned for fragrance; frankincense is one ingredient or material within it.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of frankincense this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend the resin sense of frankincense, and should its PHY.LIV placement be revised or explicitly explained?
- Which Boswellia taxa and trade-name synonyms should be recognised in the initial model, using which current taxonomic authority?
- Which authenticated reference materials and analytical methods can reliably distinguish the source species, mixtures and adulterants relevant to this catalogue?
- Which regional grading systems have documented criteria, and can any grades be compared across markets?
- What source-population evidence, storage studies and use-specific requirements are available to support sustainability, shelf-life and acceptance decisions?