¶ The Description.
THe tree from which Frankincense floweth is but low, and hath leaues like the Mastick tree; yet some are of opinion that the leafe is like the leafe of a Peare tree, and of a grassie colour: the rinde is like that of the Bay tree, whereof there are two kindes: the one groweth in mountains and rockie places, the other in the plaine: but those in the plaines are much worse than those of the mountaines: the gum hereof is also blacker, fitter to mingle with Pitch, and such other stuffe to trim ships, than for other vses.
Theuet in his Cosmographie saith, that the Frankincense tree doth resemble a gummie or rosiny Pine tree, which yeeldeth a iuice that in time groweth hard, and is called Thus, Frankincense, in whom is found sometime certaine small graines like vnto grauell, which they call the Manna of Frankincense.
Of this there is in Arabia two other sorts, the one, the gum wherof is gathered in the Dog daies when the Sun is in Leo, which is white, pure, cleare, and shining. Pena writeth that he hath seene the cleare Frankincense called Limpidum, and yeelding a very sweet smell when it is burnt, but the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath been seldome seene; which the Physition Launanus gaue to Pena and Lobel, together with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pieces of the Rosine, which he had of certaine mariners, but he could affirme nothing of cer∣taintie whether it were the leafe of the Frankincense, or of some other Pine tree, yeelding the like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or gum. It is, saith he (which doth seldom happen in other leaues) from the lower part or foot of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, to the vpper end, as it were doubled, consisting of two thin rindes or coats, with a sheath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and a halfe long, at the top gaping open like a hood or fooles coxcombe, and as it were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with a helm at, which is a thing seldome seene in a leafe, but is proper to the floures of Napellus,