N. 0. UMBELLIFERiE. 623 



zerah), raost probably imported ; (2) C. Bulbocastanum, sa- or sliali-zerah ; 

 (3) Vernonia anthelmintica, parbat-zerah ; and (4) Nigella sativa, kala-zerah. 

 The sample of black caraway was, however, not pure. Pure parcels were 

 received from Yasin in Gilgit and from Hazara. From Kullu and Bashahr 

 were furnished two qualities called "sira" and " singliu" The latter was 

 stated to be an adulterant. " Zira" proved to be C. Bulbocastanum, and 

 ultimately, through the assistance of Mr. J. H. Lace, then Assistant Inspector- 

 General of Forests, the adulterant was recognised as Bupleurum falcatum. 

 Mr. Lace found the people gathering the seeds in Chamba ; he secured a 

 sample and corresponding botanical specimen, so that his material became an 

 authentic type with which to compare the adulterants of commercial parcels. 

 It was in consequenee found that the Bupleurum was identical with tne 

 adulterant sent from most parts of India. Mr. Lace says that Bupleurum is 

 known locally as banchak or bunkok, and that before it is mixed with the 

 earum the fruits are coloured with a decoction of walnut bark. It is sold at 9 

 seers to the rupee, the true article being very much more expensive— say 

 3 seers to the rupee. Usually 5 seers of banchak are mixed with one seer 

 of zira. The black caraway and its adulterant are therefore respectively 

 the "zira" and " singhu" mentioned in the Pun'ab Forest Administration 

 Reports from 1894 — 1900 as obtained from the Kullu forests and sold, the 

 former at Rs. 15 to Rs. 27| per maund, the latter at Rs. 8. Sir Walter 

 Lawrence says that the seeds of Daucus Carota are also used as an adulterant, 

 bnt this cannot be done to any great extent since carrot-seed is not 

 abundant and is also easily distinguishable from caraway, while the dyed 

 Bupleuvum can with difficulty be separated. Sir George Watt's Commercial 

 Products of India, pp. 283-284. 



572. C. Roxburghianum, Benth, h.f.b.l, ii. 682. 



Syn. : — Apium involucratum, Rox'j. 273. Ptychotis Roxbur- 

 ghiana, DC. 



Sans. : — Ajmoda. 



Vern. : — Ajmuda, ajmot (H.) ; Ajmudah, ajmudah-ajvan 

 (Dec); Randhuni (C. P.) ; Asham, tagam, ashamta-oman (Tarn.) ; 

 Ajumoda-voman, ashmadaga voman, ajumoda vomaru (Tel.); 

 Ajmud, randhuni, cbanu (B.) ; Ajmoda-vova, koranza (Mar.); 

 Ajmoda voma (Kan.); Ajmod, bodi-ajamo (Gnz.). 



Habitat : — Extensively cultivated throughout India. 



C. B. Clarke says : — Probably a cultivated form of C. 

 strictocarpum which it exactly resembles, except as to the fruit, 

 which is tVtV 11 -' the part used by man, and therefore that 

 which has varied under cultivation, This shows a wide differ- 



