Incense stand (with 4 holes to insert the incense sticks) used to worship Hindu Gods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

K2 incense is a blend of herbs and botanicals. Some of the herbs are the same ones that are used for medicinal purposes, or in cooking and other uses. Others may not be as familiar.

Botanicals are simply parts of plants– some cases the whole plant can be used–that are processed so they can be mixed with the herbs. The processing may include crushing the parts of the plant to obtain the juice (if the plant bears fruit) or the sap (if it is a woody plant). The leaves and sometimes the stems can also be ground or chopped.

Most K2 incense products contain at least some, if not all, of the substances listed below. Their common name or a brief description is given so that you might be able to recognize them:

- Canavalia rosea: beach bean
- Clematis vitalb: a flowering vine that is a member of the buttercup family
- Nelumbo nucifera: the common Lotus plant
- Pedicularis grandifolia: a flowering plant
- Heimia salicifolia: Sinicuichi and Willow-leaf Heimia
- Leonurus sibiricus: an herb; common name Honeyweed
- Ledum palustre: an herb; common names are Wild Rosemary or marsh Labrador tea.

These herbs and the botanicals from the plants can also be mixed with what K2 manufacturers call “proprietary ingredients”. These ingredients can include such things as citron (a citrus fruit that resembles a large lemon, but has a more pungent flavor; parts of the fruit or peel are usually used) or vanilla (either the bean or the extract.) Read the rest of this entry »