Is frankincense the same as olibanum?: March 31, 2004
Whilst there are many similarities between frankincense and olibanum, they are usually differentiated by aroma, which in high-quality Hougari frankincense is lemony (verging on lime) as opposed to olibanum's distinct orange odour.
What we commonly know as frankincense is actually the resin exudate from trees of the genus boswellia in the burseraceae family. Most sources on the subject use the terms olibanum and frankincense interchangeably, but olibanum actually refers to a different species: biblical research indicates that the olibanum of the Old Testament is likely to be boswellia serrata, a close relative of frankincense (and which mainly derives from India).
The smell of b. serrata resins are distinct from the other boswellias: they have a distinct orange-citrus smell. Most frankincense resins have a lemon or sometimes lemon/lime aroma.
Also, 'olibanum', in Africa, often means incense, in a very generic sense.