Prangos

Pran´gos

prop. n.

(Bot.) A genus of umbelliferous plants, one species of which (Prangos pabularia), found in Tibet, Cashmere, Afghanistan, etc., has been used as fodder for cattle. It has decompound leaves with very long narrow divisions, and a highly fragrant smell resembling that of new clover hay.

Prangos

a genus of plants of the family Umbelliferae. The large perennial herbs have multiply pinnatisect leaves. The tips of the yellow petals are turned inward, and the large fruit has winged ribs. There are about 35 species (according to other data, as many as 50), distributed in the Mediterranean, Western Asia, Middle Asia, Central Asia, and the Himalayas. In the USSR there are 18 species, growing mainly on arid mountain slopes. P. pabularia is widely distributed in Middle Asia, where it oftens forms extensive covers. It has two forms, which differ in chemical composition; one is sweet (its leaves are eaten with hay by livestock), and the other is bitter. Species of Prangos contain coumarin and its derivatives. The plants are sometimes included in the genus Cachrys.