''Ferula'' (from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''ferula'' ) is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 220

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

, native to the Mediterranean region east to central

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, mostly growing in arid climates. Many plants of this genus, especially '' F. communis'', are referred to as "giant fennel", although they are not

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

in the strict sense.

Description

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 ...

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

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

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are

tripinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

or even more finely divided, with a stout basal sheath clasping the stem. The basal sheaths of ''Ferula oopoda'', for example, are up to six inches (15 cm) long and form a cup holding about a cup of rainwater. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are usually yellow, rarely white, produced in large

umbel UMBEL (Upper Mapping and Binding Exchange Layer) is a logically organized knowledge graph of 34,000 concepts and entity types that can be used in information science for relating information from disparate sources to one another. It was retired ...

Selected species

Uses

The Roman spice laserpicium probably came from a species of ''Ferula'', either an extinct one or ''

Ferula tingitana ''Ferula tingitana'', the giant Tangier fennel, is a species of the Apiaceae genus ''Ferula''. Despite the name, the plant is not a type of fennel proper, which belongs to another genus ('' Foeniculum''). ''Ferula tingitana'' is a tall perennia ...

'', though other identities have been suggested. The Romans called the hollow light rod made from this plant a ''ferula'' (compare also

fasces A fasces ( ; ; a , from the Latin word , meaning 'bundle'; ) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, often but not always including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbol that had its origin in the Etrus ...

, judicial birches). Such rods were used for

walking sticks A walking stick (also known as a walking cane, cane, walking staff, or staff) is a device used primarily to aid walking, provide postural stability or support, or assist in maintaining a good posture. Some designs also serve as a fashion accesso ...

, splints, for stirring boiling liquids, and for

corporal punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...

. The gummy

resin A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...

of many species of ''Ferula'' is used for various purposes: *''

Ferula foetida ''Ferula foetida'' is a species of '' Ferula'' native to Central Asia (Kyzylkum Desert, Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan), Eastern Iran, western Afghanistan and western Pakistan. It is the most widely distributed species that produces asafoetida. It ...

'', ''

Ferula assa-foetida ''Ferula assa-foetida'' is a species of ''Ferula'' endemic to Southern Iran. It is a source of asafoetida, but not the main source, although many sources claim so. The production of asafoetida from this species is confined to Southern Iran, espe ...

'' and some other species are used to make the spice

asafoetida Asafoetida (; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex (Natural gum, gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of ''Ferula'', perennial herbs of the carrot family. It is produced in Iran, Afghanistan, Central As ...

, or ''hing''Plants for a Future, Ferula assa-foetida L., Asafoetida - Devil's Dung. Hing
/ref> *''

Ferula gummosa ''Ferula gummosa'' is a perennial herb of '' Ferula'' in the family Apiaceae. It is native to Iran and Turkmenistan. Its gum resin is called galbanum Galbanum is an aromatic gum resin and a product of certain umbelliferous Persian plant sp ...

'' makes

galbanum Galbanum is an aromatic gum resin and a product of certain umbelliferous Persian plant species in the genus '' Ferula'', chiefly '' Ferula gummosa'' (synonym ''F. galbaniflua'') and '' Ferula rubricaulis''. Galbanum-yielding plants grow plentif ...

*''

Ferula hermonis ''Ferula hermonis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Apiaceae family. It is native to Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. The epithet ''hermonis'' refers to Mount Hermon on the border between Syria, Israel and Lebanon. Common names include zallouh ...

'' makes

zallouh ''Ferula hermonis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Apiaceae family. It is native to Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. The epithet ''hermonis'' refers to Mount Hermon on the border between Syria, Israel and Lebanon. Common names include zallouh ...

*'' Ferula moschata'' makes sumbul *'' Ferula persica'' or '' F. szowitziana'' makes sagapenum *''

Ferula marmarica ''Ferula'' (from Latin ''ferula'' ) 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. Many plants of this genus, especially '' F ...

'' makes "Cyrenaican

ammoniacum Ammoniacum or gum ammoniac is a gum-resin exuded from the several perennial herbs in the genus ''Ferula'' of the umbel family (Apiaceae). There are three types of ammoniacum: the gums ammoniac of Cyrenaica, of Persia (the commercial one today), a ...

" *''

Ferula ammoniacum ''Ferula ammoniacum'' (syn. ''Dorema ammoniacum''), also known as oshac or ussaq, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It is the source of Persian gum ammoniac. Referen ...

'' makes "Persian ammoniacum" *''

Ferula communis ''Ferula communis'', the giant fennel, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae. It is related to the common fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare''), which belongs to the same family. ''Ferula communis'' is a tall herbaceous peren ...

'' subsp. ''brevifolia'' makes "Moroccan ammoniacum"

References

External links

{{Authority control Apioideae genera Medicinal plants