Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

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

Morphology General Habit

Robust, glabrous, somewhat glaucous perennial herb up to 2 m.

Morphology Stem

Stems rigid when mature and with many fine distinct ribs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with well-developed sheathing bases, up to 5 cm. long but frequently much shorter, 3–4-pinnate with finely-divided ultimate segments which are narrowly linear to capillary, becoming reduced upwards towards the inflorescence and finally occurring only as sheathing bases with 0–few linear lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels terminal and lateral, rays (4)9–30, 1–11 cm. long, relatively robust and somewhat glaucous. Partial umbels with up to 12 flowers on pedicels 5–10 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles 0 (rarely few).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Calyx teeth obsolete; petals bright yellow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 4–8 mm. long, narrowly ovoid at maturity, very distinctly glaucous-grey especially when immature; stylopodium rather low. Mericarps with ribs that are obvious at maturity, but inconspicuous in young fruit.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect, glabrous, biennial or perennial herb 0.6–2(–2.4) m. tall, glaucous particularly above with a strong but pleasant aromatic odour resembling aniseed; root usually slender.

Morphology Stem

Stem sparingly to considerably branched, wiry, terete, finely striate.

Morphology Leaves

Lower leaves 3–4-pinnate, with mostly 4–7 pairs of pinnae dissected into capillary segments very variable in length, ± 0.4–12 cm. × 0.5–0.75 mm., each terminating in a sharp generally brownish mucro; largest leaves up to 0.5 m. long, broadly deltoid; petiole ± 2–5 cm.; sheaths narrowly oblong, finely striate, 3.5–12(–20) cm., narrowly membranous-margined, auriculate at the top with blunt to acute, membranous auricles; upper leaves rapidly reducing, sessile on the sheaths, the uppermost often ± reduced to sheaths alone or with a short “brush” of leaflets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels numerous, on mostly 2.5–14 cm. peduncles; rays (3–)10–25(–30), glabrous, usually unequal, 2–6(–10) cm; partial umbels ± 6–23-flowered, on glabrous, 0.5–7(–10) mm. pedicels.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals ± 1 mm., yellow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit oblong-ellipsoid, slightly laterally compressed, ± 4–6 × 1.75–2.5 mm., the ribs pale and prominent, calyx obsolete; stylopodia at first short, in ripe fruit shortly cylindrical-subconical, margins crenulate; styles short, strongly deflexed on and shorter than the stylopodia.

Figures

Fig. 30.

Habitat

An introduction, naturalised in disturbed places; 1650 m.

Distribution

K4 external distribution as for genus

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1350–2850 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila.

Habit

Herb.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Hinojo

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

Morphology General Habit

Plant up to c. 2 m tall; stems finely ribbed

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to 50 cm long; petiole c. 2–5 cm long; sheaths with membranous margin, auriculate at the top, the uppermost leaves often reduced to sheaths only

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels distinctly pedunculate; rays (3–)10–25(–30), 2–10 cm long; flowers 6–23 in each partial umbel, on 0.5–7(–10) mm long pedicels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals c. 1 mm long, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits c. 4–6 x 1.75–2.5 mm, the ribs pale, all of about the same size; styles strongly deflexed and shorter than the stylopodia.

Distribution

N1–3; S2 widespread in cultivation, in Somalia particularly in the northern mountains.

Ecology

Altitude range 30–2050 m.

Vernacular

Fennel (Eng.); jaman, kamuun (Somali)

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

eneldo, hinojo, hinojo dulce

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 1350 - 2850 m.; Andes.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

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

Morphology Stem

Stem solid, tough, round, finely striate, usually much-branched

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3–5-pinnate into filiform segments of (0.5–)1–5 cm long and in more than one plane, all furnished with lanceolate-oblong, elongate sheaths which in the uppermost leaves often exceed the length of lamina Outline of lower leaves broadly deltoid or deltoid-ovate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncles 2–11 cm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels many, terminal or leaf-opposed, with (3–)8–30 rays 0.8–5 cm long, unequal-Partial umbels of many (8– 30) flowers, pedicels 2–7 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucre and involucel usually absent, though one or two subulate bracteoles may occasionally be found

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits oblong-ovoid, 4–6 mm, ± pruinose, glabrous, ribs prominent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium

Stylopodia turgidly conic, furrowed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Styles very short (± 0.25 mm.), reflexed

Morphology General Habit

Whole plant with a characteristic and powerful aromatic odour resembling aniseed, especially when bruised. Stout, erect, glabrous, glauco-pruinose perennial, mostly 0.6–2 m

Ecology

In the mountains by the open side of stream near a sheep pool, in rocky places; alt. 950–1350 m

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting: Jun.–Jul.

Distribution

Rare in Iraq; only found native in the middle forest zone. C & S Europe (Britain, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Sicily, Balkans to Ukraine), Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Sinai, Egypt, Arabia, Turkey, Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, C Asia (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan), N India, China, Japan, N Africa (Morocco-Libya), Macaronesia (Madeira, Canary Is., Azores); also introduced into many other parts of the world such as Polynesia, tropical & S Africa, S America.

Note

As indicated above, it is usually seen as a cultivated plant in our territory and wild specimens are rare. The garden forms are commonly biennial, with fistular stems; two have been given varietal names: var. dulce (Mill.) Fiori & Paol., Fl. Anal. Ital. 2: 173 (1899). Stems subcompressed, underground surculi inflated and fleshy. var. sativum (Bertol.) Fiori & Paol., l.c. Stems terete, underground surculi not inflated and fleshy. Common Fennel; GHAZNĀIJ (Ir.-Baghdad, Guest 3420). RĀZYĀNIJ, a name then used for fennel in Syria, Egypt, Spain and Morocco, according to Ibn al-Baitar) is the only local name recorded for it which probably refers more specifically to its fruits – commonly on sale in the markets in Iraq where, as elsewhere, they are used in cooking as a condiment – than to the plant itself.

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Gene Sources

Used as gene sources.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use

Used as a spice or condiment

Use

No doubt, as mentioned by Guest (1933), fennel is often confused with dill (Anethum graveolens, q.v.) the dried leaves of which are also sold as a potherb and used to garnish dishes under the colloquial name SBINT. The fruits of fennel yield an aromatic oil used in medicine as carminative, stomachic and stimulating; as a flavourant they form an ingredient of the well-known children’s laxative, Liquorice Powder, according to Wren (1956). Another Arabic name for this plant, SHAMRA BARRIYA was noted by Handel-Mazzetti in Aleppo (Hakim 26) and the name SHAMRA was confirmed by Sharaf (1928), who also gives SHAMĀR as a variant. The young shoots of the plant are used in Europe as a vegetable. It is widely cultivated in many parts of the world, and often found as an escape.