44  Plants  of  Afghanistan.  {Am'ja0nuyi8P37.arm- 
substance  is  called  by  the  natives  Shilm-i-badra-Jcema,  Shilm-i-barzat, 
Bir 'zand-  Jao- shir.  No  artificial  means  are  employed  to  my  know- 
ledge in  the  collection  of  this  drug.  It  is  stated  to  be  an  article  of 
export  through  Persia  via  the  Gulf  to  Arabia  and  India.  In  Persia 
and  Afghanistan  it  is  said  to  be  administered  to  parturient  women,  and 
the  entire  shrub  is  hung  round  the  house  to  keep  off  evil  spirits  whilst 
parturition  is  actually  taking  place. 
Ferula  suaveolens,  Aitch.  and  Hemsley,  sp.  nov.  This  is  a  new  spe- 
cies of  Ferula  that  comes  under  the  division  Euryangium.  It  is  a 
plant  from  three  to  four  feet  in  height,  and  grows,  at  an  altitude 
above  5,000  feet  in  the  hills  to  the  south  of  Bezd.  The  root  of  the 
plant,  called  Samhal,  is  scented,  and  is  collected  and  exported  from 
Turbat-i-Haidri,  through  Persia,  to  the  coast.  The  shrub  itself  is 
called  Kema,  but  so  are  all  these  large  Umbelliferse.  It  has  a  solid 
stem,  with  nodes  on  it  much  resembling  those  of  Dorema  Ammoniacum, 
and  also  yields  some  form  of  gum-resin,  which,  however,  I  was  unable 
to  collect. 
Trachydium  Lehmanii,  Bth.  and  Hooker,  syn.,  Fi^emodaucus  Leh- 
manii,  Bunge,  and  Albertia  margaritifera,  Kegel  and  Schmalh. — The 
roots  of  this  species  are  not  thicker  than  a  goose  quill,  and  from  three 
to  four  inches  long,  tapering  off  to  a  point.  They  are  collected  as  a 
drug  under  the  name  Shakh-akhal,  and  exported  from  Herat.  It  is 
curious  to  note  that  generally  on  the  central  flower  of  the  umbel  there 
is  a  piece  of  gummy  rose-red  exudation,  the  result  of  injury  by  an 
insect. 
Psammogeton  setifolium,  Boiss. — The  fruit  of  this  plant  is  largely 
collected  and  employed  as  an  aromatic  stomachic  in  Persia ;  it  is  a  very 
common  annual,  generally  met  with  over  the  whole  country. 
I  would  nov/  proceed  to  draw  your  attention  to  the  several  kinds 
of  manna,  and  their  sources,  which  are  produced  in  this  country. 
There  are  three  kinds  which  are  usually  met  with,  and  which  form 
articles  of  export.  The  first,  and  that  most  largely  exported,  is  an 
exudation  that  occurs  in  certain  seasons  and  years  upon  Cotoneaster 
nummular ia,  Fisch.  et  Mey.  The  plant  is  called  Siah-chob  (black 
stick)  and  the  manna  Shir-hisht,  meaning  hardened  milk.  This  coton- 
easter is  a  tall  stout  shrub,  growing  occasionally  to  twelve  or  fourteen 
feet  in  height.  It  is  met  with  throughout  the  Paropamisus  range  and 
in  Khorasan,  at  an  altitude  of  about  5,000  feet.  Although  common 
everywhere  in  these  hills  it  is  found  in  greater  abundance  on  the  Siah- 
