Silphium

This article covers the plant that was used in classical antiquity; for the modern genus of plants, see Silphium (genus).

Silphium was a plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning and as a medicine.^[1] It is also known as silphion, laserwort, or laser. It was the essential item of trade from the ancient North African city of Cyrene. Most of the coins from Cyrene show a picture of the plant. The valuable product was the plant's resin (called laser, laserpicium, or lasarpicium).

An Ancient silver coin from Cyrene shows a stalk of Silphium.

Silphium was an important species. The Egyptians and the Minoan civilization of Knossos used a special glyph in their writing for the silphium plant.^[2] It was used by most ancient Mediterranean cultures. The Romans considered it "worth its weight in denarii" (silver coins). Legend said that it was a gift from the god Apollo.

Which plant species silphium was is unclear. It is commonly believed to be a now-extinct plant of the genus Ferula.^[1] The still-living plant species Ferula tingitana has been suggested as another possibility.^[3] Another resin from different Ferula species, asafoetida, was used as a cheaper substitute for silphium.^[4] Asafoetida is still available.