Fennel

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• fennel
• sweet fennel
• aniseed-weed

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Seseli dulce
• Foeniculum vulgare convar. azoricum
• Foeniculum officinale subsp. sativum
• Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum
• Foeniculum vulgare f. pateri
• Ligusticum foeniculum
• Meum foeniculum
• Foeniculum officinale var. silvestre
• Foeniculum officinale var. hortorum
• Foeniculum officinale subsp. pateri
• Foeniculum capillaceum var. macrocarpum
• Foeniculum vulgare subsp. pateri
• Foeniculum vulgare f. dulce
• Anethum foeniculum var. dulce
• Foeniculum officinale var. dulce
• Foeniculum vulgare var. inodorum
• Foeniculum azoricum
• Foeniculum divaricatum
• Seseli piperitum
• Selinum foeniculum
• Seseli foeniculum
• Anethum dulce
• Anethum minus
• Anethum panmorium
• Anethum rupestre
• Ozodia foeniculacea
• Foeniculum vulgare subsp. capillaceum
• Foeniculum vulgare var. capillaceum
• Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce
• Foeniculum officinale
• Foeniculum panmorium
• Foeniculum vulgare var. sativum
• Foeniculum vulgare subsp. sativum
• Foeniculum vulgare convar. sativum
• Foeniculum rigidum
• Foeniculum dulce
• Foeniculum capillaceum proles dulce
• Foeniculum giganteum
• Foeniculum officinale var. sativum
• Foeniculum piperitum subsp. divaricatum
• Foeniculum piperitum var. pluriradiatum
• Ligusticum foeniculum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered as Apiales and falls under the family Apiaceae. Its specific taxonomic identification is completed by the genus Foeniculum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as fennel, exhibits a specific distribution across several regions of Northern Europe. Within this part of the continent, it can be found growing in Denmark. Its presence extends further north into the landscapes of Finland and Norway. Additionally, the species is established within the territories of Great Britain and Ireland. These locations collectively define its northern geographical range.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Foeniculum vulgare is characterized by a broad adaptability to varying altitudes and human-altered environments. It exhibits a significant elevational range, capable of thriving from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum altitude of 2850 m AMSL. Regarding its preferred environmental settings, the species is frequently found in "Área Antrópica" (Anthropic Areas), indicating a strong tendency to colonize habitats modified by human activity, such as roadsides, disturbed soils, and agricultural margins.

Elevational range max:

2850 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Genetics

The genetics of Foeniculum vulgare are characterized by a notable degree of chromosomal variation and complex karyotypic structures. The plant exhibits multiple distinct chromosome numbers, with documented counts including 16, 22, 26, 30, and 44, reflecting significant intra-specific diversity. Despite this variation in numerical composition, the species is categorized at a diploid ploidy level of 2, indicating that the observed fluctuations in chromosome counts likely stem from chromosomal rearrangements or evolutionary divergence within different populations rather than whole-genome duplication events.

Chromosome number :

16, 22, 26, 30, 44

Ploidy :

2

Life history

The life history of Foeniculum vulgare is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, its regenerative buds are located at or near the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or organic debris during unfavorable conditions. The plant exhibits a deciduous habit, shedding its foliage during dormant periods to survive seasonal changes.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Foeniculum vulgare is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb, typically functioning as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. It is a terrestrial species that is neither aquatic nor epiphytic. The plant exhibits a self-supporting climbing habit, though it does not require external structures like a liana or vine to maintain its position. Its shoot orientation is primarily erect, facilitating its upward growth. In terms of stature, the plant varies in height, with a minimum measurement of 0.4 m, a mean height of approximately 1.08 m, and a maximum potential height of reaching up to 3 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3 m

Plant height mean:

1.07933333333333 m

Plant height min:

0.4 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Foeniculum vulgare is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, reflecting its metabolic approach to carbon fixation. The plant is non-carnivorous and does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil nutrients for its development. Its foliage displays significant morphological variation, featuring an oblong leaf form with a mean leaf size of 94.45 cm². The leaf dimensions show a wide range, with leaf lengths varying from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 50 cm, while the mean leaf length is recorded at 3.5 cm. Additionally, the leaf width can reach a maximum of 40 cm, and the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 86 cm²/g, which provides insight into its leaf density and resource allocation strategies.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

oblong

Leaf length max:

50 cm

Leaf length mean:

3.5 cm

Leaf length min:

1 cm

Leaf size mean:

94.45 cm²

Leaf width max:

40 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

86 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Foeniculum vulgare is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers arranged in an umbel inflorescence. These small, yellow flowers typically measure between 0.13 cm and 0.16 cm in length and undergo a flowering period that begins in July and concludes in August. The plant relies on biotic pollination, specifically utilizing an insect pollination syndrome to facilitate fertilization, as self-fertilization is noted to be absent. Following successful pollination, the plant produces dry fruits that vary in size, with a mean length of 0.5 cm (ranging from 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm) and a mean width of 0.185 cm (ranging from 0.15 cm to 0.25 cm). These fruits are highly prolific, containing more than 1,000 seeds per fruit. The seeds themselves have a consistent length of approximately 4.5 mm and a mean mass of 0.0144815125 g, though individual seed mass can range from a minimum of 0.00049 g to a maximum of 0.049 g. For dispersal, the species employs an unspecialized strategy with an epizoochorous syndrome, allowing seeds to be transported via animals. Asexual reproduction is absent in this species.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Flower colour :

yellow

Flower length max:

0.16 cm

Flower length min:

0.13 cm

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.6 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.5 cm

Fruit length min:

0.3 cm

Fruit width max:

0.25 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.185 cm

Fruit width min:

0.15 cm

Inflorescence :

umbel

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

4.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.049 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0144815125 g

Seed mass min:

0.00049 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

>1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Foeniculum vulgare has 3 reported plant parts identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, fruit, leaf.

Seed

1. Saudi journal of biological sciences
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. PloS one
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Journal of plant research

Fruit

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Fitoterapia
4. Pest management science

Leaf

1. Journal of plant research

Chemicals

Foeniculum vulgare has 274 reported phytochemicals identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include trans-Anethole, ANETHOLE, Estragole, Fenchone, LIMONENE.

trans-Anethole

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Toxicology mechanisms and methods

ANETHOLE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Journal of chromatography. A
4. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
5. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

Estragole

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi
4. Fitoterapia
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Fenchone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

LIMONENE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi
4. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
3. BMC plant biology
4. Journal of the American Nutrition Association
5. Preventive nutrition and food science

(+)-Fenchone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Toxicology mechanisms and methods
3. Pest management science

ALPHA-PINENE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of food science
3. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

IMPERATORIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutrients
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Foeniculum vulgare has 847 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, Antispasmodic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Journal of ovarian research
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine
4. Drug design, development and therapy
5. Food science & nutrition

Antimicrobial

1. Scientific reports
2. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Food science & nutrition
5. Frontiers in nutrition

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
3. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
4. Frontiers in nutrition
5. Journal of food science

Antispasmodic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
3. International journal of molecular sciences
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD

Diuretic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Clinical and experimental hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993)
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Plant signaling & behavior
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Carminative

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
3. Alternative therapies in health and medicine

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Foeniculum vulgare has 99 reported medicinal uses identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include dysmenorrhea, infantile colic, cancer, Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations