Page 19 - Pharmacognosy-II (06-PG 303)

3- Ammi visnaga (Fructus Ammi Visnagae)

Ammi visnaga is the dried ripe fruits of Ammi visnaga family
Umbelliferae.

Macroscopic characters :

The drug consists of separate mericarps with few entire cremocarps.
The mericarp is small, ovoid, about 2 mm long, 1 mm wide and surmounted
by a pyramidal stylopod bearing at its apex a reflexed style. The outer surface
is brownish to greenish brown in colour with a violet tinge, glabrous and
marked with 5 distinct pale brownish-rather broad primary ridges and 4
inconspicuous dark secondary ridges.

It has a slightly aromatic odour and aromatic, bitter slightly pungent
taste.

T.S. of the mericarp is an almost regular pentagon showing a pericarp
with 6 vittae, 4 in the dorsal and 2 in the commissural side with 5 vascular
strands. The seed has a large oily orthospermous endosperm and a small
apical embryo.

Microscopic characters :

1- Epicarp : consists of polygonal cells, elongated on the ridges, with
occasional cluster crystals of calcium oxalate and finely striated cuticle,
but no hairs.

2- Mesocarp : consists of parenchyma, traversed longitudinally by large,
schizogenous vittae, each surrounded by large, slightly-radiating cells,

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