UMBELLIFERZ., 
5-6 feet high. According to the testimony of Koempfer, this 
is the plant from which the real assafcetida is obtained. It 
is the concrete juice of the root, and is procured by the 
peasants who live in the neighbourhood of the mountains in 
the provinces of Khorassaan and Laar in Persia. When the 
leaves begin to decay the oldest plants are selected, not less 
than 4 years’ standing. The earth is partly cleared away, 
so as to expose the upper part of the root. The leaves 
and stem are twisted off, and used as a covering to screen it 
from the sun. In this state the root is left 40 days, when the 
covering being removed, the top of the root is cut off trans- 
versely. It is then screened again 48 hours, when the juice is 
„scraped off, and exposed to the sun to harden. This done, a 
second section is made; the screen again employed, and the 
Juice obtained a second time as before. Thus the assa-fetida 
is 8 times repeatedly collected from the same root ; but after a 
third section it remains 8 days to recover a sufficient stock of 
juice. 
Assafcetida is well known by its peculiar nauseous fetid 
smell, the strength of which is the surest test of its goodness. 
This odour is extremely volatile, and of course the drug loses 
much of its efficacy in keeping. It comes in large irregular 
masses, composed of various shining little lumps or grains, 
partly whitish, partly brownish or reddish, and partly of a violet 
hue; those are accounted the best which are clear, of a pale red- 
dish-colour, and variegated with many fine white tears. It is a 
gummy resin, but has the gum in largest quantity. It is the 
most efficacious of the fetid gums, and is commonly used in 
hysteria hypochondriasis, some symptoms of dyspepsia, amenor- 
thoea and chlorosis, flatulent cholics, and most diseases termed 
nervous; it is thought to be the most powerful remedy we pos- 
sess for those peculiar convulsive and spasmodic affections, which 
often recur in hysterics. It is recommended as an emmena- 
haa anthelmintic, expectorant, antiasthmatic, and anodyne. 
ts action is quick and penetrating. 
Assa-feetida, F]. July, Aug. PI. 6 to 7 feet. 
20 F. Szowrrsra‘wa (D. C. prod. 4. p. 173.) stem terete, 
nearly naked, branched, glabrous; leaves tripinnate, clothed 
ta velvety pubescence ; leaflets deeply toothed, obtuse ; um- 
nd somewhat panicled, without involucra; fruit oval-obovate, 
at, longer than the pedicels. %. H. Native of Persia, at Seid- 
Pine in gravelly and stony places, where it was collected by 
— Neck of root appearing hairy from numerous erect 
; es. Petioles of leaves trifid. Umbels terminal, on short pe- 
uncles, Fruit the size of F. comminis. 
Szomits’s Giant-fennel. PI. 5 to 6 feet. 
598.) F. puse’scens (Pall. ex Willd. rel. in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 
loth Stem pubescent, panicled, nearly leafless ; radical leaves 
clothed with hoary pubescence, ternately tripinnate; leaflets 
ae lobes linear, tripartite, obtuse ; sheaths opposite, small; 
volucra and involucels minute and caducous. %. H. Native 
of Siberia. 
Pubescent Giant-fennel. 
to 2 feet. 
598) F. pu'mina (Pall. ex Willd. rel. in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 
tak 3 aaria smooth, panicled, leafless; sheaths naked ; radical 
ne pubescent, ternately tripinnate ; leaflets pinnatifid ; lobes 
assate, bluntish. 2. H. Native of Siberia. 
= r Giant-fennel. Pl. 1 foot. : 
seis » Arme na (D. C. prod. 4. p. 174.) glabrous; petioles 
stat ahs the base, having the divisions bipinnate ; leaflets 
ec into thick, oblong, obtuse, aggregate, somewhat 
volucel obes; stem naked, terete; leaves of involucra and in- 
nik Ò short, oblong; fruit elliptic. 2%. H. Native of Arme- 
pa “Se any Arménium Seseleos Massiliensis folio, Tourn. 
* Upper leaves reduced to short leafless sheaths. 
Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1820. Pl. 1 
` river, and on the Saskatchawan at Carlton House. 
XCII. Fervura. 327 
Pl.? 
t Little known species. 
24 F. previrorta (Link, in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 592.) stem 
terete, glabrous; leaves supra-decompound ; leaflets linear, 
channelled, divaricate, flaccid, cuspidate, elongated; involucra 
Teens primordial umbels sessile. 2. H, Native of Por- 
tugal. 
Short-leaved Giant-fennel. Pl. ? 
25 F. capruxa'ris (Link, in Spreng. umb. spec. 85.) stem 
terete, glabrous; leaves triternate; leaflets filiform, capillary, 
loose; sheaths of petioles almost wanting ; umbels axillary ; in- 
volucra of a few setaceous leaves, 2%. H. Native of Portugal. 
Narthécium, Dalech. lugd. p. 754. Férula tenuiori-folio, Mor. 
ox. sect. 9. t. 15. 
Capillary Giant-fennel. Pl. i 
to 2 feet. 
26 F. reucepanrrouia (Willd. herb. in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 
592.) stem kneed, branched, leafy ; leaves tri-ternate, stiff; leaf- 
lets trifidly pinnatifid, linear-subulate, elongated; involucra 
wanting; umbellules rather capitate. Y. H. Native of Siberia, 
at the Volga. F. nodiflora, Pall. itin. app. p. 39. t. N. ed. gall. 
t. 56. F. Sibirica, Willd. spec. 1. p. 1411. Leaflets very long, 
nearly terete. Fruit unknown. The herbarium of Willdenow 
is said not to contain this plant. 
Sulphur-nort-leaved Giant-fennel. Pl. 5 to 6 feet. 
27 F. nupicav’tis (Spreng. neu endt. 2. p. 149. but not of 
Nutt.) stem naked, furrowed, glabrous; radical leaves bipin- 
nate; leaflets deeply serrated, mucronate; sheaths of upper 
leaves abortive; leaves of involucrum linear-lanceolate. YJ. H. 
Native of Sicily, on the Nebrodes, in the higher pastures. 
Laserpitium resindsum, Presl, sic. p. 136. Ligtisticum resind- 
sum, Guss. ind. sem. 1826. prod. 1. p. 356. Fruit glaucous, 
compressed, marginated. 
Naked-stemmed Giant-fennel. Pl. 2 to 3 feet? 
28 F. ranicuza‘cea (Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 183.) plant pu- 
bescent; stem short, naked, furrowed, glabrous; radical leaves 
pubescent, supra-decompound ; leaflets linear, very narrow, 
acute, short: ultimate ones trifid ; involucra wanting ; involucels 
unilateral, digitate, with linear segments. 2%. H. Native of 
North America, on the plains of the Missouri ; and on the north- 
west coast near Fort Vancouver, and barren sandy grounds on 
the Columbia river ; low hills near the source of the Wallawalla 
Pastinaca 
foeniculacea, Spreng. in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 587. Flowers yel- 
low. Herb smelling of fennel. Fruit furnished with 5 stripes, 3 
of which are conspicuous. Umbel solitary, terminal. Sprengel 
refers to this Lomatium villdsum, Rafin, in journ. phys. 1819. 
aug. 1. p. 101. and the flowers are said to be white by the 
author, but according to Nuttall they are yellow ; and it is there- 
fore also the Cogswéllia villdsa, Schultes, syst. 6. p. 588. 
Fennel-scented Giant-fennel. FI. July, Aug. Clt. 1820, Pl. 
1 to 2 feet. 
29 F. Canapr'nsts (Lin. spec. p. 356.) segments of leaves 
branched, shining, linear.—Native of Canada.” Lin. hort. ups. 
. 61. Gron. virg. p. 147. This is a very obscure plant, and 
probably the same as Angélica lùcida. 
Canadian Giant-fennel. PI. 2 feet. 
30 F. Nurra’tun (D. C. prad. 4. p. 174.) plant small, almost 
stemless, glabrous; leaves supra-decompound ; leaflets linear, 
short, acute ; scapes radical ; rays of umbel elongated ; involucra 
wanting ; involucels unilateral, digitate, with linear segments. 
4%. H. Native of North America, on the plains of the Colum- 
bia; banks of streams among stones at the Great Falls of the 
same river. F. nudicaúlis, Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 183. but not 
of Spreng. Smfrnium nudicatle, Pursh, fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 196. 
Armenian Giant- fennel. 
FI. June, July. Clt. 1820. 
