''Ferula'' (from Latin ''ferula'', 'rod') is a genus of about 220 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region east to central Asia, mostly growing in arid climates. They are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial plants growing to 1–4 m tall, with stout, hollow, somewhat succulent stems. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are tripinnate or even more finely divided, with a stout basal

sheath Sheath pronounced as , may refer to: * Scabbard, a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade, as well as guns, such as rifles. * The outer covering of a cable * Condom, a kind of contraception * Debye sheath, a layer of a plasma in ...

clasping the stem. The flowers are usually yellow, rarely white, produced in large umbels. Many plants of this genus, especially '' F. communis'', are referred to as "giant fennel," although they are not fennel in the strict sense. Koeh 061-nocaps

Selected species

The Roman spice laser or laserpicium probably came from a species of ''Ferula'', either an extinct one or '' Ferula tingitana'', though other identities have been suggested.

Uses

The gummy resin of many species of ''Ferula'' is used for various purposes: :'' Ferula foetida'', '' Ferula assa-foetida'' and some other species are used to make the spice asafoetida, or ''hing''Plants for a Future, Ferula assa-foetida L., Asafoetida - Devil's Dung. Hing
/ref> :'' Ferula gummosa'' makes galbanum :'' Ferula hermonis'' makes zallouh :''

Ferula moschata ''Ferula moschata'' (syn. ''Ferula sumbul''), the musk root or sumbul, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, found from Central Asia to western Xinjiang. Its roots are the source of muskroot :''The term "muskroot" can also refe ...

'' makes '' sumbul'' :''

Ferula persica ''Ferula persica'', the Persian asafoetida, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Caucasus and Iran. It contains a number of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. References

Ferula, persica Flora of the Tra ...

'' or '' F. szowitziana'' makes

sagapenum Sagapenum (Greek language, Greek ''σᾰγάπηνον'', ''σικβινίτζα'' (Du Cange), ''σεραπίων''; Arabic language, Arabic ''sakbīnadj''; Latin language, Latin ''sagapenum'', ''sagapium'', ''seraphinum'' (Pharmacopoea Wirtenbergi ...

:''

Ferula marmarica ''Ferula'' (from Latin ''ferula'', 'rod') is a genus of about 220 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region east to central Asia, mostly growing in arid climates. They are herbaceous perennial plants ...

'' makes "Cyrenaican ammoniacum" :'' Ferula ammoniacum'' makes "Persian ammoniacum" :''

Ferula communis ''Ferula communis'', the giant fennel, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the ce ...

'' subsp. ''brevifolia'' makes "Moroccan ammoniacum" : Silphium was used to make ''laserpicium'' The Romans called the hollow light rod made from this plant a ''ferula'' (compare also

fasces Fasces ( ; ; a ''plurale tantum'', from the Latin word ''fascis'', meaning "bundle"; it, fascio littorio) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, sometimes including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbo ...

, judicial birches). Such rods were used for walking sticks, splints, for stirring boiling liquids, and for corporal punishment.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1342970 Apiaceae genera Medicinal plants