Ferula narthex

{{Short description|Species of plant}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Flore des serres v14 225a.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn | author = Plummer, J. | title = Ferula narthex | page = e.T156236429A156238252 | year = 2020 | access-date = 16 January 2023}}

| genus = Ferula

| species = narthex

| authority = Boiss.

| synonyms = *Ferula asafoetida (Falc.) H.Karst.

• Ferula jaeschkeana subsp. taenioloba Rech. fil. & Riedl
• Ferula koelzii Rech.f. & Riedl
• Narthex asafoetida Falc.
• Peucedanum narthex (Boiss.) Baill.

| synonyms_ref = {{Cite web|title=Ferula narthex Boiss.|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:842398-1|access-date=2021-05-22|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=Kew Science}}

}}

Ferula narthex is a species of plant native to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, northern Pakistan and Kashmir.{{Cite web|title=Ferula narthex Boiss.|url=https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/6HS82|access-date=2021-05-22|website=Catalogue of Life|publisher=Species 2000}} Hugh Falconer noted that this was the source of asafoetida in Central Asia.{{Cite journal |last=Falconer |first=Hugh |date=1847 |title=XIV. Description of the Asafœtida Plant of Central Asia. |url=https://academic.oup.com/transactionslinnean/article/os-20/2/285-291/2374701 |journal=Transactions of the Linnean Society of London |language=en |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=285–291 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1846.tb00422.x}} Although it is often listed as the source of asafoetida, one report stated that its essential oil lacked sulfur-containing compounds which are characteristic of asafoetida.{{Cite journal|last1=Samimi|first1=M.|last2=Unger|first2=W.|date=1979|title=Die Gummiharze Afghanischer "Asa foetida"–liefernder Ferula–Arten. Beobachtungen zur Herkunft und Qualität Afghanischer "Asa foetida"|url=http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0028-1097252|journal=Planta Medica|volume=36|issue=6|pages=128–133|doi=10.1055/s-0028-1097252|pmid=461565|issn=0032-0943|url-access=subscription}}