FOENICULUM VULGARE

Common names: Fennel, Aniseed, Sweet Fennel
Description: Erect, perennial herb. 4 to 10 feet tall.During the growing season plants usually include a mixture of living and dead hollow stems.
Flowers: Small yellow flowers, about 1/4 inch in across. Clustered in large, round, umbrella-like groups roughly 4 inches across. Seeds look the same as the common seed used in cooking. Oblong and ribbed.
Leaves: Finely dissected and almost feathery with a strong anise scent. Bright green color.
Reproduction: Reproduces by both seed and root crown. Seeds are dispersed by water, animals and humans alike and can live in soil for years before germination. Germination may occur at any time of year as well, although is most rapid in summer.
Flowering: May to November.
Habitat and Ecology: Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. ?>