Dr. Falconer on the Asafoetida Plant of Central Asia. 291 



anastomosing ; commissural vittae about 10, more apart than those of the dor- 

 sum, the whole fruit turgid with milky juice, having a foetid alliaceous odour 

 resembling Asafoetida." The species of Ferula yielding this fruit may furnish 

 some one of the obscurely-known gum-resins resembling Asafoetida produced 

 in Persia: the observed odour in this instance is not conclusive, as the "Doo- 

 qoo"seed is imported from AfFghanistan in the same packages with Asafoetida, 

 the rank foetor of which (hence quoted, among other synonyms, by Ksempfer 

 as a translation from the German, under the name of" Stercus Diaboli,") kills 

 every less potent odour, and adheres with great tenacity to all light and 

 spongy medicinal substances. 



I have examined another kind of umbelliferous fruit in the collection of 

 Dr. Koyle, labelled as " the seed of the wild Asafoetida plant, collected and 

 brought to England by Sir J. Macneill from Persia," which differs widely 

 from the fruit both of Narthex and of Ferula, and belongs to another tribe of 

 the order. 



Having had no opportunity of observing the manner in which Asafoetida is 

 procured from the roots, oi Narthex, I liave nothing to remark upon the excel- 

 lent and very copious account of the process given by Koempfer, which bears 

 the strongest character of careful observation and fidelity of record. The 

 small sample which I got at Saharunpoor was exuded from the top of the 

 root without an incision. 



V()!.. XX. 2 Q 



