222 Handbook of herbs and spices
Table 12.1 Commercial species of Ferula
Species Where found Remarks
F. alliacea Boiss. Iran Gum is used as an intestinal antiseptic and
carminative and also for hysteria and epilepsy
F. asafoetida Linn. Iran, Afghanistan, Resin is amorphous and reddish brown.
Kashmir, Punjab and It is used for flavouring sauces and curries and
Africa also as an expectorant, laxative and antispasmodic
F. communis Linn. N. Africa Source of a gum known as ‘Ammoniac of
Morocco’ used for medicinal purposes in Europe
F. foetida (Bunge) S. Turkey, Iran and Same as F. asafetida
Reget Afghanistan
F. f erulago Linn. S. European countries Used for medicinal purposes in Europe
F. galbaniflua N.W. Africa, Iran and Source of galbanum
Boiss. and Bulise. Turkey
F. hermonis Boiss. – Used for medicinal purposes in Syria
F. jaeschkeana Kashmir and Turkey Source of a gum resin
Va t k e.
F. marmarica N. Africa Source of gum ‘amariac of Cyrenaica’
Asch..and Taub
F. narthex Boiss. West Tibet and Ladakh Used as a spice because of the flavour
region of Kashmir
F. orientalis Linn. – Used for medicinal purposes in the Middle East
F. persica Wild Iran Gum (sagapenum) is sold as ‘tears’ or ‘masses’
F. rubricaulis Boiss. – Used for medicinal purposes in Iran
F. schair Brosz Turkey Probably a source of galbanum.
Used for medicinal purposes in Europe
F. sumbul f. Mountains south Root has musk-like aroma. It is used as a
east of Samarkand stimulant and as a tonic for nervous disorders
F. szowilziana D.C. Central Asia Source of sagapen resin and has the scent of
galbanum
F. tingitana Linn. Syria and N. Africa Sources of North African or Moroccan ammoniac
(Syn. F. sancta
Boiss)
There are two kinds of plant, male and female. The female plant produces
inflorescences whereas the male plant does not. Only the female plant produces the
oleogum or asafetida (Pruthi 2001). The stalk of the inflorescence is big and leafless.
The umbels have 10 to 20 rays and partial ones have 5 or 6 flowers. The flowers are
pale yellow, succeeded by a flat, thin, reddish-brown fruit, like that of parsnip but
larger and darker, slightly hairy and rough.
The carrot-like taproots attain a diameter of 12 to 15 cm at the crown after four to
five years of growth. At this stage, the plant is ready for the commercial extraction
of asafetida. The fruits are 0.8 cm long and 0.6 cm broad, with tender hairs. The
flowers and fruits generally appear in March–April. The white exudate of the fruit is
fragrant, pure and crystalline. The brownish to reddish exudate smells foul. Today
there are many varieties of exudates in the market sourced from different species and
using different collection procedures. It is reported that some unscrupulous nurserymen
in Kerala, India, sell seedlings of Gardenia gummifera as asafetida plants as they
have an exudation with a similar odour, but this plant does not yield commercial
asafetida (George 1995).
Ushak is similar to asafetida and obtained from another genus of the family
umbelliferarae, Doremia ammoniacum Don. or D. aureum. Ammon is a God of
ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece. This particular plant was found in all the places