Fennel.Fructus Foeniculi.Foeniculum vulgare Mill.Xiao Hui Xiang.

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Description of Fennel Plant(s) and Culture.

Fennel Seed Extract INCI Name Foeniculum Vulgare Extract CAS 84625-39-8 EINECS ELINCS No 283-414-6 Fructus Foeniculi Extract Foeniculum extract bitter fennel seed extract Xiao-hui-xiang Fenchel Fenkel Sweet Fennel Wild Fennel Fennel Adas landi Adas londa Anis Vert Anis Comino Finocchio Forte Kaneer Razbana LAnis La Nuit Raziyane Rezene Shamar Shbint photo picture image A tall herb of the umbel family, with feathery leaves and yellow flowers.

 A stout, strongly scented perennial plant, with erect stems and blue-green leaves. The striated stems are solid when young, becoming hollow with age. The yellow flowers grow in compound, terminal umbels, each with 10-30 stalks. Aniseed-scented, egg-shaped fruits follow the flowers.

 Its light green, feathery foliage and aromatic seeds are used to flavor foods and medicines. Stems reach 4-6 feet and flowers appear July to October. Needs full sun; partial shade in warm climates. Zones 6-9.

 Seeds can be planted in autumn to ensure early germination in the spring, otherwise plant seeds in spring in rich, well-drained soil but not clay. Sow lightly in a bed or in drills six inches apart. Keep the bed moist for 2 weeks or until leaves appear. Germination takes place within 2 weeks. Thin to 6 inches apart. Do not overwater after that. Do not plant fennel near dill, coriander, bush beans, or tomatoes. Although it has never been proven, fennel is said to have a damaging effect on bush beans, caraway, tomatoes, and kohlrabi, and is harmed by coriander and wormwood. Plant away from garden; most plants dislike fennel.

 Collect seeds in summer and let the plant die back naturally in winter. Harvest seeds when mature and brown, but before they drop; check for aphids. Morning hours for harvest are best to avoid unnecessary seed losses.

 Varieties of fennel: F. vulgare Rubrum (bronze fennel) has beautiful, dark reddish bronze foliage. It makes a striking accent in gardens. F. vulgare azoricum (Florence fennel or finacchio; sometimes listed as var. dulce, incorrectly called sweet anise, and sold as anise in supermarkets) has thickened leaf bases that form a bulbous base called the bulb, which is eaten raw or cooked. Finocchio grows like a stalk of celery and is eaten raw or boiled as a vegetable. Florence fennel needs cool weather to develop its bulb, so sow seeds in midsummer for a fall harvest. Plants grown from a spring sowing may bolt in warm summer weather before forming the bulb. Plants benefit from frequent fertilization and watering. Cut off flower heads to encourage development of a thicker base. Once the bulb is about egg size, it can be hilled up with soil to blanch. It will be ready to harvest in a few weeks.

 Habitat:

 Humid-temperate regions, growing on a wide range of soil types (Parsons and Cuthbertson 1992). It is restricted to areas of moderate rainfall or where irrigation run-off water is available, or to low-lying areas subject to flooding (Parsons and Cuthbertson 1992). It occurs as a weed on roadsides, railway easements, channels and drains, rubbish dumps and neglected areas from which it occasionally encroaches onto more productive land (Parsons and Cuthbertson 1992). Fennel invades dry coastal vegetation, lowland grassland and grassy woodland, riparian vegetation and rock outcrop vegetation (Carr et al 1992).

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citations1.Fennel.Fructus Foeniculi.Foeniculum vulgare Mill.Xiao Hui Xiang.

last edit date:1st,June.2009.