Am.  Jour.  Pharju.\ 
Jan.,lS87.  J 
Plants  of  Afghanistan. 
43 
opalescent  color.  This  substance  in  these  parts  is  the  Kandal  or  Ushak 
of  commerce.  It  is  collected  simply  by  removing  the  lumps  from  the 
surface  of  the  plant,  or,  if  later  in  the  season,  from  the  ground.  Xo 
means  are  taken  to  increase  the  flow  of  fluid  from  the  stem  artificially. 
Between  Bezd  and  Sher-i-nao  a  large  quantity  of  Kandal  grows,  and 
it  is  there  gathered  for  exportation. 
I  may  mention  here  that  Dorema  glabrum,  which  attains  a  height  of 
from  ten  to  twelve  feet,  grows  in  great  abundance,  along  with  tama- 
risk, in  the  Nehal  sh6ni  portion  of  the  Badghis  territory,  forming 
thickets  in  the  stream  beds.  It  yields  a  gum-resin.  I  also  collected 
a  very  distinct  new  species  of  a  Dorema  with  foliage  resembling  Feru- 
la fcetida. 
Ferula  galbaniflua,  Boissier  and  Buhse. — The  plate  of  this 
in  Bentley  and  Trimen  is  not  sufficient,  owing  to  the  imperfect 
material  they  had  to  work  with.  Our  plant  differs  from  Boissier's 
description,  in  having  a  perfectly  hollow  stem  and  woolly  petals ;  but 
this  woolliness  so  entirely  disappears  in  the  herbarium,  that  unless 
seen  originally  one  would  doubt  its  having  ever  existed.  Notwith- 
standing these  discrepancies,  we  have  no  doubt  that  it  is  F.  galbaniflua , 
Boiss.  et  Buhse.  The  native  name  for  this  plant  is  Brada-hema.  In 
habit  it  differs  from  the  two  already  described  species,  in  growing  gre- 
gariously, and  in  its  being  found  in  greatest  luxuriance  in  moister  lo- 
calities, as  in  the  Badghis  near  Gulran,  where  it  grows  in  the  sandy 
loam  of  that  district.  -  Its  early  root  leaves  spring  from  the  ground 
like  a  fountain  of  soft  green  moss,  and  in  this  state  it  is  greedily  de- 
voured by  camels.  The  stem,  which  grows  very  rapidly,  is  of  a  semi- 
opalescent  orange  color  when  young  and  perfectly  glabrous.  When  in 
full  blossom  the  flower  is  of  a  brilliant  orange-yellow;  as  the  fruit 
forms  and  ripens  the  color  changes  from  the  base  of  the  plant  up- 
wards, showing  various  autumnal  tints.  The  stem  is  thick  at  the  base 
but  tapers  suddenly  upwards,  terminating  in  an  elegant  tall,  loose, 
panicled  inflorescence,  reaching  a  height  of  about  four  feet.  The 
stem,  on  injury,  from  its  earliest  stage  of  growth,  yields  an  orange-yel- 
low gummy  fluid,  which  very  slowly  consolidates,  usually  forming  on 
the  stem,  like  the  grease  on  a  guttering  candle,  and  possessing  in  com- 
mon with  the  whole  plant  when  crushed  a  strong  odor  resembling  that 
of  celery.  The  gum  is  commonly  found  adhering  to  the  lower  por- 
tions of  the  stem,  and  is  so  tenacious  that  when  subsequently  exam- 
ined pieces  of  the  plant  are  frequently  found  attached  to  it.  This 
