Apiaceae

Foeniculum Mill.

First published in Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4.: [s.p.] (1754)

This genus is accepted

The native range of this genus is Macaronesia, Medit to Ethiopia and W. Nepal.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit: Tall, glabrous biennial or perennial herb with 3–5 pinnately decomposite leaves, segments filiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Umbels compound
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre: Involucre and involucel usually absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers: Flowers yellow, petals rather broad, with an obtuse incurved lobule, not emarginate above, not radiate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Calyx teeth obsolete
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruit oblong or ovoid, slightly laterally compressed, commissure broad Mericarps subterete, ribs 5, prominent, obtuse, equal or the marginal slightly stouter
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae: Vittae solitary in valleculae, 2 on the commissure
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium: Stylopodia large, conical, entire; styles short
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore: Carpophore bipartite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Endosperm: Endosperm sulcate beneath vittae, dorsally compressed, commissural face flat or slightly concave.
Note: A monotypic genus. Foeniculum (the diminutive of the Lat. foenum, hay); Fennel.

[FIQ]

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit: Biennial or perennial herbs with pinnately divided leaves, with filiform ultimate segments.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Umbels compound, bracts and bracteoles 0–few.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Sepals absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Petals yellow with strongly inturned apices.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruit narrowly ovoid, very slightly laterally compressed; ribs fairly robust and obvious at maturity.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae: Vittae solitary in the furrows.

[FZ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit: Aromatic glabrous biennial or perennial herb
Morphology Leaves: Leaves 3–4-pinnate, dissected into filiform segments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Plant polygamous Umbels compound, leaf-opposed; involucre and involucel absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Calyx-lobes absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Petals yellow, strongly incurved at the tip and emarginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, only slightly compressed, the mericarps scarcely narrowed to the broad commissure; primary ribs conspicuous, the marginal ones not or scarcely larger than the dorsal ones; vittae dark, 1 in each groove and 2 on each commissural face; stylopodia conical.
Distribution: One or two species only, probably native in the Mediterranean region, but widespread in cultivation, and often naturalized or persisting.

[FSOM]

Umbelliferae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit: Glabrous, strongly aromatic biennial or perennial
Morphology Leaves: Leaves 3–4-pinnate, continually dissected into fine, capillary segments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Umbels compound, numerous, leaf-opposed; involucre and involucel none
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers: Flowers polygamous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Calyx-teeth absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Petals yellow, glabrous, strongly incurved at the tip and ± emarginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruit oblong-ellipsoid, only slightly compressed laterally, the mericarps scarcely narrowed to the broad commissure; primary ribs pale, conspicuous, stout and prominent, the marginal ribs not or scarcely larger than the dorsals; valleculae each with a single, broad, dark vitta; commissure with 2 vittae equalling or slightly smaller than the dorsal ones; stylopodia conical, somewhat elongating in fruit; carpophore deeply bifid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds: Endosperm depressed-pentagonal, distinctly sulcate below the vittae
Distribution: One polymorphic species widely distributed in Europe, the Mediterranean and SW. Asia; even within this region its native area is blurred by naturalisation from cultivation as a condiment, which is its normal status in tropical Africa
Note: It is probably genuinely native in the Mediterranean region.

[FTEA]

EBC Common Names
- Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection
Flora Zambesiaca
- Flora Zambesiaca
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Flora of Iraq
- Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Flora of Somalia
- Flora of Somalia
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Flora of Tropical East Africa
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
- 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
Kew Backbone Distributions
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Descriptions