FOENICULUM VULGARE subsp. PIPERITUM

Family and Genus:- See- UMBELLIFERAE

Common Names:- Fennel

Homotypic Synonyms:- Foeniculum officinale, Anethum foeniculum,

Foeniculum piperitum.

Meaning:- Foeniculum (L) Fodder.

Vulgare (L) Usual, common.

Piperitum (Gr) With a hot biting taste, pepper-like. (derived from the

Sanskrit pippali for pepper)

General description:- Erect, glabrous, glaucous, strongly pungent perennial.

Stems:-

1) 1-2 m tall, terete, striate. rather slender; whole plant strongly aromatic.

Leaves:-

1) More or less deltate, alternate, feathery, with numerous thread-like lobes and

sheathing bases, glabrous, a little fleshy.

a) lower, 3 to 4 times divided into numerous lengthened segments, with a rather

wide sheath.

b) upper, with the sheath longer than the lamina.

4) Petioles, usually 3-6 cm.

Flowers:-

1) Joined together in compound umbels yellow, flattish.

2) Rays, 7-15, slender, somewhat unequal.

3) Bracts and bractlets, lacking.

Fruit:-

1) Fruit, c. 4 mm, broadly oblong, scarcely compressed, with low but prominent

lateral and dorsal ridges.

Key features:-

1) Leaf-lobes, seldom more than 10 mm, rigid and rather fleshy.

2) Terminal umbel, often over-topped by the lateral ones.

3) Rays usually 4-10.

4) Fruit, c. 4 mm, broadly oblong, scarcely compressed, sharp-tasting.

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Habitat:- Coastal habitats, roadsides, open coniferous woodland, dry streambeds

and ruderal habitats. 0-900(-1300) m.

Distribution:- Throughout mainland Greece, except the interior north. -

Mediterranean region and SW Asia. Fairly widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- May-Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton