Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
sweet fennel
Apiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
sweet fennel
Apiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Stout, short-lived perennial or biennial herb from a taproot, with a strong anise odor; stems erect, often branched above, 1-2 m tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves glabrous and glaucous, pinnately dissected into small, threadlike ultimate segments, without well-defined leaflets; leaf stalks often sheathing, the blades 30-40 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of compound umbrella-like clusters; flowers small, yellow; spokes unequal in length.
Fruits:
Oblong, not strongly flattened, 3.5-4 mm long, ribs not winged.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry roadsides, fields and waste places in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known from SE Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Foeniculum foeniculum (L.) Karst.