230 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Umbellifere. 
and Arnott. Aveo is applied in Europe to the Anise, Pimpinella Anisum ; and aneeson 
in Northern India, to the plant every where employed, as a substitute for parsley. 
This was referred by Dr. Roxburgh to the genus Apiwm, but subsequently removed 
by M. De Candolle to Ptychotis. M. Lagasca, in looking over my collection of Umbel- 
lifere, considered it more nearly allied to Pimpinella ; and Messrs.Wight and Arnott 
have also referred it to that genus, though it is anomalous in some of its characters. 
Finally, Dr. Roxburgh, in describing Ligusticum Ajowan, states, he cannot conceive that 
this famous Indian plant, aromatic in smell, pungent in taste, used both by natives 
and Europeans for culinary and medicinal purposes, can be unknown to European 
botanists. To Ajwain, Persian authors assign nankhwah as the Arabic name. This is 
the sb of Avicenna, written nanachua and nanachue in the marginal translation of 
Ammi, in the Latin edition of his works; which names are quoted under Ammi by 
Mathiolus, in his Commentaries on Dioscorides. But in Persian works on Materia 
Medica, Aammi is also given as the Greek synonyme of nankhwah, that is, of Ajwain, 
which Dr. Roxburgh justly supposed could not be unknown to Europeans. This has 
been referred by M. De Candolle to the genus Ptychotis, which brings it near P. cop- 
ticum, called at one time Ammi copticum: the Ammi itself is called Cuminum Athiopicum 
and regium ; the latter name is translated by kumoon mullookee, and is given as a syno- 
nyme of nankhwah in Persian authors. 
In addition to these, other names, a little varied, might be mentioned, as dokus, kirvia, 
kokalus, kirdmane, seesaron, seesalioon, kunniyoon, and koofiyoon, intended for xwvsiov. 
The seeds of Prangos pabularia, have the name fiturasulioon applied to them in the bazars 
of Northern India, though there is no. proof they constituted the Petroselinum of the 
ancients. From the locality and uses of Prangos ; being described by Mr. Moorcroft as 
growing in the neighbourhood of Draz, on the northern face of the mountains, and afford- 
ing abundant and excellent fodder for cattle, which it fattens in a short space of time, 
it corresponds more nearly with the Silphium of some of the ancients. This is described 
by Arrian as growing only with pines on Paropamisus, where it was browsed on by 
numerous flocks of sheep and cattle. It has been generally supposed to be the assa- 
foetida plant. Lieut. Burnes, crossing in the direction of Alexander's route, found this 
in the same situation, greedily cropped by sheep, and even eaten by his fellow-travellers 
(as is also mentioned by Kinnier) ; and he supposes it to be, the Si/phium of Alexander’s 
historians. Heeren applies the greater portion of the remarks which remain of Ctesias 
respecting the Indians to the high land of Tatary, where grew the Silphium, grazed on 
by innumerable flocks of sheep and goats (Pol. and Com. de UAntig. 1. p. 372), in the 
country where cochineal was found (v. p. 224), and whence even now comes the finest 
wool. In the same country the Prangos is found, forming a nourishing and abundant 
fodder for cattle. As after the first sowing this requires little care or culture, it would 
no doubt be a valuable acquisition in climates for which it is suited, though of these 
we have not at Present any precise notions. It would, probably, succeed in Kunawur, 
at the Cape of Good Hope, and also in some of the Australian settlements. 
The 
