146  UMBELLIFERZ. 
- Kew, [had to transmit a portion to M. Boissias, ' in Switzerland 
His reply was definite. The plant from Yezd agrees 
foliage exactly with F. alliacea, in stature, size of fruit, 2 and 
other respects; but the fruit has a broader margin than im 
M. Boissier’s specimens. However, M. Boissier thinks it m 
be set down as that species, a conclusion in which I entir 
agree. Ferula alliacea was previously known to me only 
description. You will observe that we have named it in 
' Pharmacographia asa possible source of Asafcetida, I hat 
thought it right to make a wide distribution of the f 
supply of seeds with which you have favoured me, and I h 
therefore sent packets to the Botanical Gardens of Ke 
Edinburgh, Oxford, Paris, St. Petersburg, Bern, Strassbul 
Florence, Pisa, Naples, Palermo, Athens, and to bo 
friends on the Mediterranean Coast, in South Africa, 7 
few other places. As the seeds seemed fresh and en 
in hopes that many plants may be raised.’’* 
. Chemical composition.—According to Hirschsohn, . 
tidas may be divided into two groups—viz., those which ; 
umbelliferon amongst other products upon dry distilla 
and those which do not. The first group of umbel. 
yielding samples, to which the European commercial 
tidas belong, is distinguished by the alcoholic tincture b 
_ precipitated by acetate of lead and the fluorescence « 
sulphuric acid solutions. The second group to which the E 
_ bay kind belongs are not precipitated by acetate of lead, 
their sulphuric acid solutions are not fluorescent. The turni 
of a red colour on exposure to light, and the malachite- 
spots produced by nitric acid (first observed by Fluckiger) al 
distinguish the common Asafcetidas from the Indian ; it 
also be particularly mentioned that stem-remains are foun 
some kinds of common aerate = the — 
always contains slices of roots 
Petroleum-ether, besides extracting the essential 
@ non-volatile sake vhich greases 
* For a review of the bot: literature of the Asafcetida pl 
Holmes in Pharm. Tous. Melt . XIX., 21-34; 41-44; 365-3 
