|
Foeniculum vulgare Mill. map ill.
Miller, Gard. Dict., ed. 8 (1768). – Anethum foeniculum L., Sp.pl.: 263 (1753). – Type: Herb. Clifford 106, Anethum 2× (BM) lectotype, sel. by Jansen, Spices, Cond., Med. Pl. Ethiopia: 25 (1981).
D Fennikel. F venkoli. N finkel. S fänkål.
Hemicryptophyte (biennial or perennial). Glaucous, to c. 1 m high plant (sometimes much shorter); with a distinct aromatic scent. Stem terete, solid or secondarily hollow, green. Leaves 3–5-pinnatifid with capillary, 0.3–0.8 mm thick lobes; sheaths usually well developed, with membranous margin.
Umbels slightly convex; rays straight or slightly inwards-curved; bracts absent. Umbellules (4–)6–14(– c. 40); bractlets absent. Flowers (7–)12–23(– c. 40) per umbellule; petals yellow, c. 1 mm, tapering from the middle; anthers 0.5–0.7 mm. Fruit glaucous, oblong to narrowly ovate in outline, not flattened. Mericarps 6–7 × 2–2.3 × 1.5 mm; ridges 5, distinct, in cross section acute; valleculae rather wide, each with 1 black-brown vitta; stylopodium distinct, narrowly conical, 0.7–0.8 mm wide; style 0.2–0.5 mm, directed outwards. – Late summer to autumn.
[2n=22]
Distribution and habitat. A casual alien and an escape from cultivation. –D NJy Fredrikshavn 1943 (Faurholdt & Schou 2004), ØJy Randers 1975, Århus 1974, Sjæ København 1989, Brn Bodilsker 1978. N Øf Fredrikstad 1891, VA Kristiansand 1985, Ho Kvinnherad 1950, ST Trondheim 1946–58 (dump). S Sk Malmö 1974, Bl Karlskrona 1938, Klm Kalmar 1914, Ljungby 2000 (refuse tip), BhG Göteborg area c. 15 localities 1920–59, Uddevalla 1941 (docks), Upl Österåker 1994 (farm), Gst Gävle 1923 (docks). F U Helsinki several records 1929–81 (most from tips or landfill), EP Vaasa 1929. – Unconfirmed records from D Løgstør 2006 (tree plantation; Atlas Flora Danica), ØJy Hornslet 1997, FyL Allerup 1996, Tommerup 1999, Sjæ Kalundborg (old find), Sorø 1968, København 2001–03, Brn Hasle (old find), N Ak Oslo, Te Skien, and Tr Tromsø (Elven 2005), S Nrk, Srm Nacka, Brännkyrka and Kloster (Rydberg & Wanntorp 2001), Upl Järfälla 1922 (Almquist & Asplund 1937), and F V Turku (***).
Grown as a spice and a vegetable. Native to SW Europe, the Mediterranean and SW Asia, elsewhere escaped or introduced.
Variation. Foeniculum vulgare is quite variable in size, leaf-segmentation and inflorescence. Different cultivars are grown for the fruit (widely used as a spice) and for the shoots (used as a vegetable). The species has been subdivided (Tutin 1968) into subsp. vulgare (slender leaves, with more than 1 cm long lobes and umbels with more than 10 rays) and subsp. piperita (Ucria) Cout. (rigid leaves, with less than 1 cm long lobes and umbels with less than 10 rays). Most of the Nordic material would be classified with subsp. piperita; some specimens from S BhG Göteborg (Ringön and Lärje) correspond to subsp. vulgare (some of the specimens from Lärje may be referred to var. azoricum (Mill.) Thell., characterized by, e.g., enlarged sheaths); however, many specimens are intermediate, and the characters may vary even within the same specimen. Furthermore, all characters seem to be related to nutrient availability, individuals growing on nutrient-rich soil producing larger leaves with more slender segments and richer inflorescences. The species is therefore not subdivided here.
Similar taxa. Dwarfed specimens of Foeniculum vulgare are often mistaken for Anethum graveolens or Ridolfia segetum. The latter two both have capillary leaf-lobes but are annual, and their flowers are smaller (petals 0.6–0.8 mm, anthers c. 0.4 mm) with flat stylopodia; further, R. segetum is scentless, and A. graveolens has winged fruits.
|