FENNEL 



117 



Fenchone is a colourless liquid possessing a pungent, camphoraceous 

 odour and taste ; it probably contributes materially to the medicinal 

 properties of the oil, hence only such varieties of fennel as contain a 

 good proportion of fenchone are suitable for medicinal use. 



Varieties. The following are the chief commercial varieties of 

 fennel fruits : 



1. Saxon : as above described ; they yield 4-7 per cent, of volatile 

 oil containing 22 per cent, of fenchone. 



2. Russian, Galician, and Roumanian : these closely resemble 

 one another ; from 4 to 6 mm. in length and 1 to 2 mm. in width ; 



FIG. 63. Fennel fruit. A, entire fruit, side view, magni- 

 fied 3 diam. B, half-fruit, showing commissural 

 surface, magnified 3 diam. C, transverse section ; 

 /*, vittae ; K, ridges ; 2, endosperm ; 3, embryo ; mag- 

 nified 14 diam. D, portion of the same, further 

 enlarged. (Berg. ) 



yield of oil from 4 to 5 per cent, of which about 18 per cent, is fenchone ; 

 taste very camphoraceous. 



3. French Sweet or Roman, 7 to 8 mm. long, 2 to 3 mm. wide, often 

 arched ; pale yellowish green with a sweet, anise taste. Yield of 

 oil 2-1 per cent., free from fenchone. 



4. Indian, 6 to 7 mm. long, brownish, stalky, with sweet anise 

 taste. Yield of oil O72 per cent., containing 6- 7 per cent, of fenchone. 



5. Japanese, 3 to 4 mm. long, 2 to 3 mm. wide, ovoid, not curved, 

 pale greenish brown in colour ; taste camphoraceous and very sweet. 

 Yield of oil 2-7 per cent., containing 10-2 per cent, of fenchone. 



6. French Bitter, 4 to 5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, scurfy in the furrows, 

 ridges less prominent, and colour darker than the sweet. 



Adulteration. Fennel is said to be specially subject to admixture 

 with exhausted fruits. These include the fruits partially exhausted 

 of their oil by distillation in a current of alcohol vapour in liqueur- 



