UMBELLIFEB^. 187 



the Levant and Mediterranean region, in the Azores and Canaries, 

 causes serious accidents to the unfortunates who, in a time of 

 scarcity, think they can use its foliaceous ribs as food. With the 

 ancients it was an antihysteric and antihemorrhagic plant. The 

 hollow stems ^ were used to make cases for manuscripts and ferules or 

 rods for schools (whence its generic name Ferula). In Podolia P. 

 sijlvaticum ^ is used in the treatment of gout, scrofula and intermittent 

 fevers.^ At Sarepta, the aromatic roots of P. (Eriosynaphe) longi- 

 folium^ are eaten. P. officinale,^ a south-European species, was 

 esteemed for its aperitive, expectorant, diuretic root, but is no longer 

 employed. P. Oreoselinum^ (fig. 81, 82) is reputed diaphoretic, 

 stimulant; its fruit was considered a febrifuge. P, Cervaria' was 

 prescribed as a diuretic and febrifuge ; P. itaUcum and parisiense, as 

 stimulants and tonics ; P. montanum as bitter, tonic, its root was 

 said to cure epilepsy. P. sijlvestre ^ was used as a masticatory and 

 replaced Ginger ; its root has been administered as a certain cure for 

 epilepsy. P. alsaticum^ had the same uses as P. Cervaria. In North 

 America, P. amhiguum ^^ and rigidius ^^ are cited as stimulants and 

 tonics. P. Galhanum^^ (fig. 89), a remarkable species from the Cape 

 of Good Hope, derives its specific name from the opinion, long 



1 They contain, however, a little spongy me- ^ Cuss, ex Lapeyr. Abr. Pyr. 149. — DC. 

 dullary substance of which a sort of tinder is Prodr. n. 21. — Oreosslinum nigrum Delarbr. — 

 made. Selinum Oreoselinum Scop. 



2 Ferula sylvatica Bess. Enum. PI. Yolh. et 7 Crss. ex Lapeyr. Ab)'. Pyr. 149. — Koch, 

 Podol. 44.— DC. Frodr. iv. 171, n. 1.— Eosenth. Umb. 94.— DC. Prodr. n. 20.— Gren. et Godr. 

 op. cit. 74:4:.— F. nodijlora Kochel. — Ferulago Fl. de Fr. i. 688. — Selinum Cervaria Scop. — 

 sylvatica Reichb. Ic. iv. t. 371. Athamantha Cervaria L. 



^ P. orie>itale Boiss. {Ferula orientalis Jj.) has ^ j)Q. Prodr. iv. 179, n. 17. — P. palustre 



been considered as producing the gum ammo- Mcench. — Thysselinum palustre Hoffm. — Sell- 



niac. P. geniculatum {Ferula geniculata Grss.) num sylvestre L. JSort. Vpsal. 5^. 



was a medicinal plant in Greece. P. tingita- ^ L. Sjiec. 354 (notPoiR.). — DG. Prodr. n. 19. 



vtim (Ferula ti)igita>ia Jj.) was reputed to fur- — Laucus alsaticus BAVM. — CHidium alsaticum 



nish an African gum ammoniac and Silphioif. Sprexg. 



P. Ferulago (Ferula Ferulago L.) had been i" Q^nauthe ambigua Nutt. Gen. Amer. i. 189. 



named by Koch F. galbanifera, but it does not — Pastinaca ambigua TonB..— Archemora atnbi- 



produce galbanum. P. ovinum H. Bn. (Ferula gua DC. Prodr. iv. 188, n. 1. 



ovina Boiss.), or Kuma of the Persans, is aro- ii Slum rigidius L. Spec. 362. — (Enanthe rigida 



matic and liked by sheep. P. cinereum [Peru- Nutt. — Sion marginatum Michx. — Pastinaca 



lago cinerea Boiss.) is eaten in the East as a rigida Stb.esg. — Archemora rigida DC. Prodr. 



condiment with boiled rice. n. 2. According to Barton, it is an extremely 



4 Ferula longifolia FiscH. Cat. Hort. Gorenh. violent poison. 



(1812) 46.—Friosynap?ie longifolia DC. Mem. 12 £, H. Gen. 920.— Bubon Galbanum L. Spec. 



60, t. 1, E ; Prodr. iv. 175. 364.— Jacq. Sort. Vindob. iii. t. 36.— Harv. 



^ h. Spec. 353.— DC. Fl. Fr. iv. 336 ; Prodr. and Sond. Fl. Cap. ii. 560.— Rosenth. op. cit. 



iv. 177, n. 2. — Selinum Peiicedanum Sow. Engl. 546. — Aga.-^t/lHs Galbanum Spreng. 

 Put. t. 1767. 



