Ferula

{{Short description|Genus of plants}} {{Other uses}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Ferula communis2.jpg |image_caption = ''Ferula communis'' |display_parents = 3 |taxon = Ferula |authority = L. |synonyms = {{collapsible list | *''Agasulis'' Raf. *''Buniotrinia'' Stapf & Wettst. *''Dardanis'' Raf. *''Diserneston'' Jaub. & Spach *''Dorema'' D.Don *''Eriosynaphe'' DC. *''Euryangium'' Kauffm. *''Merwia'' B.Fedtsch. *''Narthex'' Falc. *''Pinacantha'' Gilli *''Polycyrtus'' Schltdl. *''Schumannia'' Kuntze *''Scorodosma'' Bunge *''Soranthus'' Ledeb. *''Sumbulus'' H.Reinsch *''Talassia'' Korovin }} |synonyms_ref =<ref>{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30105171-2#synonyms |title=''Ferula'' Tourn. ex L. |author= |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=10 August 2020 }}</ref> }}

'''''Ferula''''' (from Latin ''ferula'' {{gloss|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. Many plants of this genus, especially ''F. communis'', are referred to as "giant fennel", although they are not fennel in the strict sense.<ref>[http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/floraspecie.php?genere=Ferula Altervista Flora Italiana, genere ''Ferula'']</ref><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=112746 Flora of Pakistan, Ferula Linn]</ref>

==Description== thumb|''Ferula foetida'' They are herbaceous perennial plants growing to 1–4 m tall, with stout, hollow, somewhat succulent stems. The leaves are tripinnate or even more finely divided, with a stout basal sheath clasping the stem. The basal sheaths of ''Ferula oopoda'', for example, are up to {{cvt|15|cm|0}} long and form a cup holding about a cup of rainwater.<ref>T.I. Agagmuradov, Badghiz, (1984)p. 187</ref> The flowers are usually yellow, rarely white, produced in large umbels.

==Selected species== {{Main|List of Ferula species|l1=List of ''Ferula'' species}} {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| *''Ferula assa-foetida'' – asafoetida *''Ferula aucheri'' *''Ferula caspica'' *''Ferula communis'' – giant fennel *''Ferula conocaula'' *''Ferula cypria'' – Cyprus fennel *''Ferula diversivittata'' *''Ferula drudeana'', hypothesized to be the ancient Silphion *''Ferula foetida'' *''Ferula gummosa'', syn. ''F. galbaniflua'' – galbanum *''Ferula hermonis'' *''Ferula iliensis'' *''Ferula jaeschkeana'' *''Ferula karelinii'' *''Ferula linkii'' *''Ferula longifolia'' *''Ferula marmarica'' *''Ferula melitensis'' *''Ferula mikraskythiana'' – endemic to Romania and found in the Dumbrăveni Forest Nature Reserve in 2014<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bulfina|first1=Ovidiu|title=Discovery! New plant species in Romania|url=http://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/news/discovery-new-plant-species-romania|website=Birdlife International|access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> *''Ferula moschata'', syn ''F. sumbul'' – muskroot *''Ferula narthex'' *''Ferula oopoda'' found in Turkmenistan and Pakistan. *''Ferula orientalis'' *''Ferula persica'' *''Ferula rubricaulis'' *''Ferula sadleriana'' - endemic to the Pannonian Basin, especially Hungary *''Ferula schair'' *''Ferula szowitziana'' *''Ferula tingitana'', hypothesized to be the ancient Silphion *''Ferula varia'' }}

==Uses== thumb|''Ferula'' in Iran [[File:Pleurotus eryngii - Doğal Ortamında Çaşır Mantarı.jpg|thumb|''Pleurotus eryngii'' var. ''ferulae''. Ferula mushroom in Bingöl, Turkey]]

The Roman spice laserpicium probably came from a species of ''Ferula'', either an extinct one or ''Ferula tingitana'' or more recently ''Ferula drudeana'', though other identities have been suggested. The Romans called the hollow light rod made from this plant a ''ferula'' (compare also fasces, judicial birches). Such rods were used for walking sticks, splints, for stirring boiling liquids, and for corporal punishment.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

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''<ref>[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ferula+assa-foetida Plants for a Future, Ferula assa-foetida L., Asafoetida - Devil's Dung. Hing]</ref> *''Ferula gummosa'' makes galbanum *''Ferula hermonis'' makes zallouh *''Ferula moschata'' makes sumbul *''Ferula persica'' or ''F. szowitziana'' makes sagapenum *''Ferula marmarica'' makes "Cyrenaican ammoniacum" *''Ferula ammoniacum'' makes "Persian ammoniacum" *''Ferula communis'' subsp. ''brevifolia'' makes "Moroccan ammoniacum"

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline|Ferula (Apiaceae)|Ferula}}

Category:Ferula Category:Apioideae genera Category:Medicinal plants