Muskroot

(Ferula moschata; formerly Ferula sumbul), a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Umbelliferae. The thick-rooted plant has several stems, which measure as much as 50 cm in height. The leaves are rather stiff; the radical leaves have long petioles and are pinnatisected into four narrow segments, while the stem leaves are smaller. The umbellets have an involucre. The plant has yellow flowers and compressed fruits with threadlike ribs. Muskroot grows in the Pamir-Alai, on rocky slopes in the shrub zone. It yields the sumbul root, which contains a muskscented fatty oil and resins. Used as a food seasoning, the herb is also cultivated for its essential oil and for use in paints and varnishes.