354 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



A large number of the plants belonging to the Umbelliferae 

 contain essential oils, resins, gum-resins and related substances. 

 The gum-resin ammoniac is an exudation found on the stem and 

 branches of Doreuia Ammoniacum and other species of Dorema 

 as a result of the sting of an insect. The plant is found in Western 

 Asia. .The gum-resin occurs in yellowish-brown, globular, or 

 somewhat flattened tears which are brittle, milky-white internally, 

 with a distinct balsamic odor and bitter, acrid, nauseous taste. It 

 contains a small quantity of volatile oil having the odor of 

 Angelica. African ammoniac is obtained from Ferula tingitana 

 growing in Northern Africa and Western Asia. 



The gum-resin galbanum-Is obtained by incising the root of 

 Ferula galbanifula and other species of Ferula growing in the 

 Levant. Galbanum occurs in pale yellowish-brown agglutinated 

 tears, forming a more or less hard mass, which is brittle when 

 cold but soft and sticky at 37" C. ; the odor is distinct, balsamic; 

 the taste bitter and acrid. It contains from 10 to 20 per cent, of a 

 volatile oil composed of d-pinene, cadinene, and other principles. 



A volatile oil, known as Ajowan oil, and containing thymoI,^ 

 is obtained from the fruit of Carum Ajowan of Europe, Asia and 

 Africa. A volatile oil containing apiol is found in the fruit and 

 leaves of the garden parsley {Petrosclinum sativum). Dill oil 

 is obtained from the garden Dill (Anethiim gravcolens) . The 

 fruit of Sweet cicely (Washingtonia longistylis) yields a volatile 

 oil known as' sweet anise oil, which contains anethol. The oil 

 of water fennel {CEnanthe Phellandri) contains about 80 per cent, 

 of phellandrene. Cumin oil is obtained from Cuminnin Cymiitum 

 of Turkestan and Egypt, and contains cymene. 



The roots of a number of the plants of this family contain 

 volatile oils, as Lovage {Lcvisticum oiRcinale) of Southern 

 Europe; European angelica or garden angelica {Angelica Arch- 

 angelica) ; American angelica or the purple-stemmed angelica 

 {A. atropurpurea) found in the Northern and Eastern United 

 States and Canada; Wild angelica {A. sylvcstris) of Europe. 



The following garden vegetables are yielded by this family: 

 Carrot, from cultivated species of Daucus Carota; parsnip (Fasti- 

 naca saliva); celery (Apium gravcolens). The leaves of some 

 species are used as pot-herbs, as parsley (Petroselinnm sativum). 



