''Ferula assa-foetida'' is a species of ''

Ferula ''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 ...

'' endemic to

Southern Iran Southern Iran consists of the southern mountain ranges of Zagros and Central Iranian Range, Khuzestan Plain and the northern coasts of Persian Gulf and Straight of Hormuz. It includes the provinces of Fars Province, Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Buyer Ah ...

. It is the source of

asafoetida Asafoetida (; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex ( gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of ''Ferula'', perennial herbs growing tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. Asafoetida is thou ...

, but its production is confined to Southern Iran, especially the area near Lar. Outside its native range, other asafoetida-producing species are often misidentified as ''F. assa-foetida''. For example, '' F. foetida'' is mistaken for ''F. assa-foetida'' in '' Flora of the U.S.S.R.'' and ''

Flora of Pakistan Pakistan's native flora reflects its varied climatic zones, which range from arid and semi-arid to temperate and tropical. For further details of habitats, see Ecoregions of Pakistan, Forestry in Pakistan and Wildlife of Pakistan. Distribut ...

''. In a molecular phylogenetic study, all the plant samples of ''F. assa-foetida'' collected in

Central Iran Central Iran consists of the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains in the north, the Zagros Mountains in south, the Central Iranian Range, and the desert of Dasht-e Kavir. It includes the provinces of Esfahan, Yazd, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari ...

were clustered with other species such as '' F. alliacea'' and '' F. gabrielii'' instead of with the verified sample of ''F. assa-foetida'' collected in Southern Iran. Chemical analyses of asafoetida samples obtained from local markets also showed that asafoetida-producing species in

Eastern Iran Eastern Iran consists of the Lut Desert, the mountains ranges bordering Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the coastal strip of the Gulf of Oman. It includes the provinces of North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan and Sis ...

were '' F. lutensis'', ''F. foetida'', ''F. alliacea'', etc., instead of ''F. assa-foetida''. '' F. pseudalliacea'' and '' F. rubricaulis'' are endemic to western and southwestern

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and are sometimes considered conspecific with ''F. assa-foetida''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q111185 assa-foetida Endemic flora of Iran