Ferula caspica
M.Bieb.
Apiaceae
Ferula aciphylla M.Bieb. ex Ledeb.
Ferula arenosa Pall. ex Ledeb.
Ferula caucasica Korovin
Ferula nudata Pall. ex Ledeb.
Ferula orientalis Eichw.
Peucedanum caspicum (M.Bieb.) Link
Common Name:
General Information
Ferula caspica is a perennial plant growing from a taproot; it produces a single, slender stem (rarely 2 - 3), growing around 30 - 60cm tall[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, presumably being used as a regional substitute for assafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida)[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
Eurasia - Ukraine to Turkey, east to Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and western China (Xinjiang)
Habitat
Dry saline soils in S. and E. Ukraine and south-eastern. Russia[
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
]. Rock crevices on low mountain slopes; at elevations from 500 - 1,800 metres[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.30 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Ferula caspica is a plant of continental temperate climates with warm to hot summers and cold winters. It grows in arid to semi-arid environments.
Ferula species generally can succeed in most soils[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
], though they prefer a deep, fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants have a long taproot and are intolerant of root disturbance[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. They should be planted into their final positions as soon as possible.
A monocarpic species, the plant grows for some years without flowering before it flowers and then dies after setting seed[
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The gum resin, obtained from the roots, is anthelmintic, carminative, digestive and expectorant[
176- Title
- Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yeung. Him-Che.
- Publisher
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
]. It is used in the treatment of indigestion, dysentery, tumours, parasitic and anthelmintic infections[
176- Title
- Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yeung. Him-Che.
- Publisher
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
].
The essential oil in the resin can be expelled through the lungs and so is used in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough[
176- Title
- Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yeung. Him-Che.
- Publisher
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
].
A decoction of the leaves and stems is used to treat conditions such as diabetes, stomach ache, gynaecological problems etc[
2240- Title
- Ethnomedicinal studies on the plant resources of east Anatolia, Turkey
- Publication
- Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 756-777
- Author
- Altundaga E. & Ozturk M.
- Website
- http://10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.05.195
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2011
- ISBN
- 1877-0428
- Description
-
].
The plant is probably used as a regional substitute for assafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida)[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as the seed is ripe in a greenhouse in autumn[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Otherwise sow in mid spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Plant them out into their permanent positions whilst still small because the plants dislike root disturbance[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. If necessary, give the plants a protective mulch for their first winter outdoors.
Division in autumn. This may be inadvisable due to the plants dislike of root disturbance.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
