FCENICULUM. FENNEL. 237 



The herb contains traces of the alkaloids, a little 

 volatile oil, and about 12.8 per cent, of ash. 

 . Conine is a volatile, non-oxygenated, highly poisonous 

 alkaloid of a strong, disagreeable odor and an acrid and 

 bitter taste. It is an oily liquid, specific gravity 0.88, 

 boiling at i67°C., soluble in alcohol, ether, and 90 parts of 

 cold water. It fumes in contact with hydrochloric acid 

 and forms soluble crystalline salts with this and other 

 acids. Me thy leonine is a similar oily liquid, boiling 

 between i69°C. and i8o°C. Conhydrine, 0.006 per cent. 

 present in the herb, crystallizes in colorless, pearly plates 

 which sublime below loo^C, and treated with phosphoric 

 anhydride yield a /? and y coniceine. Pseudoconine 

 crystallizes in needles, melting at 98° C. 



FCENICULUM. FENNEL. 



"The fruit of Foeyiiculum capillaceum, Gilibert (nat. 

 ord. Umbellifer(B)r U. S. 



A perennial herb, i to 2 m. high, with decompound 

 leaves, growing throughout Europe and Asia, more 

 plentifully in the warmer regions. It is cultivated in 

 France and Germany. 



There are two principal varieties, Roman and German. 

 Indian fennel and bitter fennel are of less frequent oc- 

 currence. 



Description. — German or Saxon fennel. The fruit is 

 from 5 to 8 mm. long, straight or slightly curved, and 

 about 3 m. in thickness, almost cylindrical, with five 

 distinct greenish-yellow ribs on each mericarp, the 

 lateral ones being more strongly developed than the 

 others. Two short, thick styles surmount the fruit. 

 The color in general is greenish-brown, the taste sweet 

 and camphoraceous. 



Roman or Italian fennel differs from the above in its 

 greater length, 10 to 14 mm. This dimension, however, 

 varies with the age of the plant, each succeeding year 



