Boswellia neglecta seeds, Frankincense, REALLY RARE!!
Boswellia neglecta Frankincense seeds
Boswellia neglecta belongs to the genus of the frankincense that is part of the family of the Bursaceae. Frankincense is nearly a household name to everyone as frankincense is part of the Christmas story. Jesus gets frankincense, myrrh and gold as a present from the Kings of the East. However Boswellia neglecta cannot be the species Jesus got for its birthday as it was described relatively late in 1877. The species is native to Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Kenya.
Boswellia neglecta grows as a tree that reaches a height between 5 and 8 meters. The trunk of Boswellia is special; it is very thick to store water and nutrients. With this storage capacity the tree can tolerate dry periods. That is important because Boswellia neglecta often grows in dessert like, meager, dry areas. This special trunk form is called "caudicform" in biology. Plants with this trunk form are taken together to the caudex plants. The bark exfoliates in thin layers from the trunk. Boswellia neglecta contains resin like all other frankincense species. However it differs from other species in that the resin comes out of the trunk without hurting and scratching the tree and can be easily collected. The leaves of Boswellia neglecta are pinnate. The leaflets are roundish and dark green. The flowers are actinomorphic and inconsiderable white or greenish. Frankincense is an important part in many religions. It takes part in rituals and traditions. The resin is mainly used as incense to honor the gods. Due to long trade routes the frankincense was expensive. Beside religious reasons the frankincense was also used to cover bad odors with its pleasant odor. In medicine Boswellia neglecta is also used. The resin can be used inside, taken oral or outside the body. Boswellia neglecta has an anti inflammatory effect. This anti inflammatory effect is due to boswellic acid that is part of the resin of Boswellia neglecta. Boswellic acid interacts with enzymes that are responsible for the beginning of an inflammation.
The seeds of Boswellia neglecta do not need a special pretreatment. They can be planted directly into the substrate. At a temperature of 24°C or more, germination starts in the moist substrate after 4 to 12 weeks.
