Ferula /(?)/

Fer·u·la

Ferula

n.
  1. A ferule. [Obs.]
  2. The imperial scepter in the Byzantine or Eastern Empire.
  3. A genus of plants of the parsley family Apiaceae (of the order Umbelliferae), including some yielding asafetida. Members include Ferula asafoetida (Ferula foetida), the giant fennel (Ferula communis), and Ferula orientalis. [capitalized]