290 Dr. Fauconer on the Asafoetida Plant of Central Asia. 
the plains of Toorkestan upon the Oxus, north of the Hindoo Koosh moun- 
tains, where it seems to have been met with by Sir Alexander Burnes* ; and on 
the other, to stretch across from Beloochistan, through Candahar and other 
provinces of Affghanistan, to the eastern side of the valley of the Indus, where 
it stops in Astore, and does not occur in great abundance. The whole of this 
region, which constitutes the head-quarters of the gum-bearing Umbellifere, 
possesses the common character of an excessively dry climate, indicated in 
Berghauss Hygrometric map in Johnstone's ‘Physical Atlas’ by a belt of white. 
According to my observation, it does not extend into Cashmeer, although 
Prangos pabularia, which is associated with it in Astore, grows abundantly in 
that valley. 
Besides the gum-resin, the fruit of Narthex Asafetida is imported into 
India from Persia and Affghanistan, under the name of “ Anjoodan,” being 
extensively employed by the native physicians in India; Anjoodan being 
the epithet applied to the seed of the * Heengseh," or “ Hulteet," by Avi- 
cenna, also quoted by Kzempfer, and used by the Indo-Persian and Arabic 
writers generally in describing the Asafcetida plant. Another umbelliferous 
fruit is also imported with it, and sold under the name of * Doogoo,” (a word 
evidently connected with the Sadxoc of the Greeks,) being recommended as an 
excellent substitute for “ Anjoodan,” which it closely resembles in its general 
appearance. This I found to be the fruit of a species of true Ferula; it is one 
of the two Asafcetida-like fruits mentioned by Dr. Royle as occurring in the 
bazaars of northern India, and may be that which furnished the account 
which Dr. Lindley, in the passage above quoted, has mixed up with his de- 
scription of the Asafcetida plant of Kempfer. The following are the charac- 
ters of this ** Doogoo" seed, extracted from a description of bazaar specimens 
drawn up by me in the north of India :—“ Mericarps broad elliptical or 
elliptical-obovate, somewhat convex in the middle, thin, with a dilated border, 
3$ to 5 lines long by 23 to 3 lines broad. Dorsal ridges 3, filiform, but slightly 
elevated, the lateral ridges less apparent, giving a thickened edge to the 
border. Dorsal vittze about 4 in each channel, interrupted, branched and 
* Burnes mentions the plant as an annual, probably in consequence of the annual decay of the stems. 
i states that sheep browse on the young shoots, which are considered to be very nutritious.— Trav. 
vol. ii. P. 243. 
