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{{for|Giant Fennel (''Ferula communis'')|Ferula}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Fennel
| image = Foeniculum vulgare.JPG
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = Fennel in flower
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Apiales]]
| familia = [[Apiaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Foeniculum]]''
| species = '''''F. vulgare'''''
| binomial = ''Foeniculum vulgare''
| binomial_authority = [[Philip Miller|Mill.]]
}}
'''Fennel''' (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a [[species]] in the [[genus]] ''[[Foeniculum]]'' (treated as the sole species in the genus by most [[botanist]]s), native to the [[Mediterranean region]] and southwestern [[Asia]], from [[Morocco]] and [[Portugal]] east to [[Pakistan]], and north to southern [[France]] and [[Bulgaria]]. It is a member of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Apiaceae]], formerly the Umbelliferae.<ref name=flora>''Flora Europaea'': [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Foeniculum+&SPECIES_XREF=vulgare&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= ''Foeniculum vulgare'']</ref><ref name=grin>Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?300219 ''Foeniculum vulgare'']</ref>
It is a highly aromatic [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[herb]], erect, glaucous green, and grows to 2.5 m tall, with hollow stems. The [[leaf|leaves]] grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected, with the ultimate segments filiform, about 0.5 mm wide. The [[flower]]s are produced in terminal compound [[umbel]]s 5–15 cm wide, each umbel section with 20–50 tiny yellow flowers on short pedicels. The [[fruit]] is a dry [[seed]] from 4–10 mm long, half as wide or less, and grooved.<ref name=blamey>Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). ''Flora of Britain and Northern Europe''. ISBN 0-340-40170-2</ref>
Fennel is used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including the [[Mouse Moth]] and the [[Anise Swallowtail]].
==Cultivation and uses==
Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly-flavoured leaves and seeds. The flavour is similar to that of [[anise]] and [[star anise]], though usually not so strong.<ref name=katzer>Katzer's Spice Pages: [http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Foen_vul.html?noframes Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'' Mill.)]</ref>
The '''Florence fennel''' (''Foeniculum vulgare'' Azoricum Group; [[synonymy|syn.]] ''F. vulgare'' var. ''azoricum'') is a [[Cultivar Group]] with inflated leaf bases which form a [[bulb]]-like structure. It is of cultivated origin,<ref name=grin/> and has a mild anise-like flavour, but is more aromatic and sweeter. Its flavour comes from [[anethole]], an aromatic compound also found in [[anise]] and [[star anise]]. Florence fennel plants are smaller than the wild type and have inflated leaf bases which are eaten as a [[vegetable]], both raw and cooked. There are several [[cultivar]]s of Florence fennel, which is also known by several other names, notably the [[Italian language|Italian]] name ''finocchio''. In North American supermarkets, it is often mislabelled as "anise".
Fennel has become [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]] along roadsides, in pastures, and in other open sites in many regions, including northern Europe, the [[United States]], southern [[Canada]] and in much of Asia and [[Australia]]. It propagates well by seed, and is considered an [[invasive species]] and a [[weed]] in Australia and the United States<ref>http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/tcweeds/weeds/fennel.htm</ref> (see [[Santa Cruz Island]]).
Florence fennel was one of the three main herbs used in the preparation of [[Absinthe]], an alcoholic mixture which originated as a medicinal elixir in Switzerland and became, by the late 1800s, a popular drink believed by many to have psychoactive properties beyond those found in other alcoholic beverages. Due to these beliefs, Absinthe was banned in most countries by the 1940s, but a recent relaxation of laws governing its production, importation and sale has caused a moderate resurgence in consumption. Many modern preparations marketed under the name "Absinthe" do not make use of fennel as did the traditional recipes{{Fact|date=June 2007}}.
===Culinary uses===
[[Image:Koeh-148.jpg|right|thumb|Fennel, from Koehler's ''Medicinal-plants'' (1887)]]
[[Image:Fennel seed.jpg|left|thumb|Fennel seeds]]
The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are widely used in many of the [[cookery|culinary]] traditions of the world. Fennel pollen is the most potent form of fennel, but it is exceedingly expensive{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavoured [[spice]]; they are brown or green in colour when fresh, and slowly turn a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal.<ref name=katzer/>
Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with [[anise]]ed, which is very similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. In [[Demographics of India|India]], it is common to chew fennel seed (or ''saunf'') as a mouth-freshener. Fennel is also used as a flavouring in some natural [[toothpaste]]s. Some people employ it as a [[diuretic]]; while others have used it to improve the milk supply of [[breastfeeding]] mothers, it has shown neurotoxicity in certain cases where the mother ingested it as an herbal tea to enhance her breast milk<ref>Rosti, L. A. Nardini, M. Bettinelli, and D. Rosti. Toxic effects of a herbal tea mixture in two newborns. ''Acta Paediatrica''. Vol. 83, 1994:683</ref>.
Many cultures in the [[Indian subcontinent]] and the [[Middle East]] incorporate fennel seed into their culinary traditions. It is an essential ingredient in the [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]]/[[Oriya cuisine|Oriya]] spice mixture [[panch phoron]] and in Chinese [[five-spice powder]]s. It is known as ''saunf'' or ''mauti saunf'' in [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]], ''mouri'' in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], and ''shombu'' or ''peruncheeragam'' in [[Tamil language]]. In the west, fennel seed is a very common ingredient in Italian sausages and northern European rye breads.
Many [[egg (food)|egg]], [[fish]], and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves. Florence fennel is a key ingredient in some [[Italy|Italian]] and [[Germany|German]] [[salad]]s, often tossed with [[chicory]] and [[avocado]], or it can be [[Braising|braised]] and served as a warm side dish. It may be [[Blanching|blanched]] and/or [[Marination|marinated]], or cooked in [[risotto]]. In all cases, the leaves lend their characteristically mild, anise-like flavour.
===Medical uses===
{{Unreferencedsection|date=June 2007}}
[[Essential oil]] of sweet Fennel is included in some [[pharmacopoeia]]s. It is traditionally used in [[medicine]] to treat chills and stomach problems ([[carminative]], antimicrobal action and so on).
Fennel leaves can be boiled, the steam inhaled to relieve [[croup]], [[asthma]], and [[bronchitis]].
Fennel contains [[Anethole]], an antispasmatic, alongside other pharmacologically active substances.
Fennel essential oil is used in [[soap]]s, and some [[perfume]]s.
==Etymology and history==
[[Image:Wild fennel flowers.jpg|thumb|[[Close-up]] of wild fennel flowers]]
[[Etymology|Etymologically]], the word fennel developed from [[Middle English]] ''fenel, fenyl''; [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''fenol, finol'', from [[Latin]] ''feniculum, foeniculum'', diminutive of ''fenum, foenum'', "hay". The actual Latin word for the plant was ''[[ferula]]'', which is now used as the genus name of a related plant.
In [[Ancient Greek]], fennel was called ''marathon'' (μάραθον), and is attested in [[Linear B]] tablets as ''ma-ra-tu-wo''. [[John Chadwick]] notes that this word is the origin of the placename [[Marathon, Greece|Marathon]] (meaning ''place of fennel''), site of the [[Battle of Marathon]] in [[490 BC]]; however, Chadwick wryly notes that he has "not seen any fennel growing there now".<ref>John Chadwick, ''The Mycenaean World'' (Cambridge: University Press, 1976), p. 120</ref> In [[Greek mythology]], [[Prometheus]] used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the gods.
In [[Middle Ages|medieval]] times fennel was used in conjunction with [[St John's wort]] to keep away [[witchcraft]] and other evil things. This practice may have originated from fennel's use as an [[insect repellent]].
Fennel is thought to be one of the nine [[herb]]s held sacred by the [[Anglo-Saxons]]. The other eight are not entirely certain, but were probably [[Artemisia vulgaris|mugwort]] (''Artemisia vulgaris''), [[Plantago major|greater plantain]] (''Plantago major''), [[watercress]] (''Nasturtium officinale''), [[chamomile|wild chamomile]] (''Matricaria recutita''), [[stinging nettle]] (''Urtica dioica''), [[Malus|crab apple]] (''Malus sylvestris''), [[chervil]] (''Anthriscus cerefolium''), and [[Viper's Bugloss|viper's bugloss]] (''Echium vulgare'').
==References==
{{Commons|Foeniculum vulgare}}
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=23 Fennel in nutrition, health, cooking]
{{Herbs & spices}}
[[Category:Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Absinthe]]
[[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Fennel
| image = Foeniculum vulgare.JPG
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = Fennel in flower
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Apiales]]
| familia = [[Apiaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Foeniculum]]''
| species = '''''F. vulgare'''''
| binomial = ''Foeniculum vulgare''
| binomial_authority = [[Philip Miller|Mill.]]
}}
'''Fennel''' (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a [[species]] in the [[genus]] ''[[Foeniculum]]'' (treated as the sole species in the genus by most [[botanist]]s), native to the [[Mediterranean region]] and southwestern [[Asia]], from [[Morocco]] and [[Portugal]] east to [[Pakistan]], and north to southern [[France]] and [[Bulgaria]]. It is a member of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Apiaceae]], formerly the Umbelliferae.<ref name=flora>''Flora Europaea'': [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Foeniculum+&SPECIES_XREF=vulgare&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= ''Foeniculum vulgare'']</ref><ref name=grin>Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?300219 ''Foeniculum vulgare'']</ref>
It is a highly aromatic [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[herb]], erect, glaucous green, and grows to 2.5 m tall, with hollow stems. The [[leaf|leaves]] grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected, with the ultimate segments filiform, about 0.5 mm wide. The [[flower]]s are produced in terminal compound [[umbel]]s 5–15 cm wide, each umbel section with 20–50 tiny yellow flowers on short pedicels. The [[fruit]] is a dry [[seed]] from 4–10 mm long, half as wide or less, and grooved.<ref name=blamey>Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). ''Flora of Britain and Northern Europe''. ISBN 0-340-40170-2</ref>
Fennel is used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including the [[Mouse Moth]] and the [[Anise Swallowtail]].
==Cultivation and uses==
Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly-flavoured leaves and seeds. The flavour is similar to that of [[anise]] and [[star anise]], though usually not so strong.<ref name=katzer>Katzer's Spice Pages: [http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Foen_vul.html?noframes Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'' Mill.)]</ref>
The '''Florence fennel''' (''Foeniculum vulgare'' Azoricum Group; [[synonymy|syn.]] ''F. vulgare'' var. ''azoricum'') is a [[Cultivar Group]] with inflated leaf bases which form a [[bulb]]-like structure. It is of cultivated origin,<ref name=grin/> and has a mild anise-like flavour, but is more aromatic and sweeter. Its flavour comes from [[anethole]], an aromatic compound also found in [[anise]] and [[star anise]]. Florence fennel plants are smaller than the wild type and have inflated leaf bases which are eaten as a [[vegetable]], both raw and cooked. There are several [[cultivar]]s of Florence fennel, which is also known by several other names, notably the [[Italian language|Italian]] name ''finocchio''. In North American supermarkets, it is often mislabelled as "anise".
Fennel has become [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]] along roadsides, in pastures, and in other open sites in many regions, including northern Europe, the [[United States]], southern [[Canada]] and in much of Asia and [[Australia]]. It propagates well by seed, and is considered an [[invasive species]] and a [[weed]] in Australia and the United States<ref>http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/tcweeds/weeds/fennel.htm</ref> (see [[Santa Cruz Island]]).
Florence fennel was one of the three main herbs used in the preparation of [[Absinthe]], an alcoholic mixture which originated as a medicinal elixir in Switzerland and became, by the late 1800s, a popular drink believed by many to have psychoactive properties beyond those found in other alcoholic beverages. Due to these beliefs, Absinthe was banned in most countries by the 1940s, but a recent relaxation of laws governing its production, importation and sale has caused a moderate resurgence in consumption. Many modern preparations marketed under the name "Absinthe" do not make use of fennel as did the traditional recipes{{Fact|date=June 2007}}.
===Culinary uses===
[[Image:Koeh-148.jpg|right|thumb|Fennel, from Koehler's ''Medicinal-plants'' (1887)]]
[[Image:Fennel seed.jpg|left|thumb|Fennel seeds]]
The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are widely used in many of the [[cookery|culinary]] traditions of the world. Fennel pollen is the most potent form of fennel, but it is exceedingly expensive{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavoured [[spice]]; they are brown or green in colour when fresh, and slowly turn a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal.<ref name=katzer/>
Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with [[anise]]ed, which is very similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. In [[Demographics of India|India]], it is common to chew fennel seed (or ''saunf'') as a mouth-freshener. Fennel is also used as a flavouring in some natural [[toothpaste]]s. Some people employ it as a [[diuretic]]; while others have used it to improve the milk supply of [[breastfeeding]] mothers, it has shown neurotoxicity in certain cases where the mother ingested it as an herbal tea to enhance her breast milk<ref>Rosti, L. A. Nardini, M. Bettinelli, and D. Rosti. Toxic effects of a herbal tea mixture in two newborns. ''Acta Paediatrica''. Vol. 83, 1994:683</ref>.
Many cultures in the [[Indian subcontinent]] and the [[Middle East]] incorporate fennel seed into their culinary traditions. It is an essential ingredient in the [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]]/[[Oriya cuisine|Oriya]] spice mixture [[panch phoron]] and in Chinese [[five-spice powder]]s. It is known as ''saunf'' or ''mauti saunf'' in [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]], ''mouri'' in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], and ''shombu'' or ''peruncheeragam'' in [[Tamil language]]. In the west, fennel seed is a very common ingredient in Italian sausages and northern European rye breads.
Many [[egg (food)|egg]], [[fish]], and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves. Florence fennel is a key ingredient in some [[Italy|Italian]] and [[Germany|German]] [[salad]]s, often tossed with [[chicory]] and [[avocado]], or it can be [[Braising|braised]] and served as a warm side dish. It may be [[Blanching|blanched]] and/or [[Marination|marinated]], or cooked in [[risotto]]. In all cases, the leaves lend their characteristically mild, anise-like flavour.
===Medical uses===
{{Unreferencedsection|date=June 2007}}
[[Essential oil]] of sweet Fennel is included in some [[pharmacopoeia]]s. It is traditionally used in [[medicine]] to treat chills and stomach problems ([[carminative]], antimicrobal action and so on).
Fennel leaves can be boiled, the steam inhaled to relieve [[croup]], [[asthma]], and [[bronchitis]].
Fennel contains [[Anethole]], an antispasmatic, alongside other pharmacologically active substances.
Fennel essential oil is used in [[soap]]s, and some [[perfume]]s.
==Etymology and history==
[[Image:Wild fennel flowers.jpg|thumb|[[Close-up]] of wild fennel flowers]]
[[Etymology|Etymologically]], the word fennel developed from [[Middle English]] ''fenel, fenyl''; [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''fenol, finol'', from [[Latin]] ''feniculum, foeniculum'', diminutive of ''fenum, foenum'', "hay". The actual Latin word for the plant was ''[[ferula]]'', which is now used as the genus name of a related plant.
In [[Ancient Greek]], fennel was called ''marathon'' (μάραθον), and is attested in [[Linear B]] tablets as ''ma-ra-tu-wo''. [[John Chadwick]] notes that this word is the origin of the placename [[Marathon, Greece|Marathon]] (meaning ''place of fennel''), site of the [[Battle of Marathon]] in [[490 BC]]; however, Chadwick wryly notes that he has "not seen any fennel growing there now".<ref>John Chadwick, ''The Mycenaean World'' (Cambridge: University Press, 1976), p. 120</ref> In [[Greek mythology]], [[Prometheus]] used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the gods.
In [[Middle Ages|medieval]] times fennel was used in conjunction with [[St John's wort]] to keep away [[witchcraft]] and other evil things. This practice may have originated from fennel's use as an [[insect repellent]].
Fennel is thought to be one of the nine [[herb]]s held sacred by the [[Anglo-Saxons]]. The other eight are not entirely certain, but were probably [[Artemisia vulgaris|mugwort]] (''Artemisia vulgaris''), [[Plantago major|greater plantain]] (''Plantago major''), [[watercress]] (''Nasturtium officinale''), [[chamomile|wild chamomile]] (''Matricaria recutita''), [[stinging nettle]] (''Urtica dioica''), [[Malus|crab apple]] (''Malus sylvestris''), [[chervil]] (''Anthriscus cerefolium''), and [[Viper's Bugloss|viper's bugloss]] (''Echium vulgare'').
==References==
{{Commons|Foeniculum vulgare}}
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=23 Fennel in nutrition, health, cooking]
{{Herbs & spices}}
[[Category:Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Absinthe]]
[[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]]
