APIACEjE. 321 



regard to the species, or at least the officinal ones. The Edinburgh Pharma- 

 copoeia includes these under the name of F. officinale; whilst Pereira, in ac- 

 cordance with De Candolle, admits two species, the F. vulgare and duke ; 

 and the London College quotes the F. vulgare as the officinal plant. To add 

 to the confusion, Merat and De Lens give three species, the F. vulgare, offici- 

 nale, and duke. As these appear to be mere varieties of each other, they 

 will be considered under the same head. 



F. officii^le, Allioni. — Stem terete at base. Leaves tripinnate ; leaflets subulate, 

 drooping. 



Linn., (Anethum,) Sp. PL 377 ; Woodville, t. 49 ; F. vulgare, Stephen- 

 son and Churchill, iii. 137 ;'Lindley, Fl. Med. 41. 



Common Names. — Fennel ; Sweet Fennel ; Italian Fennel. 

 Foreign Names. — Fenouil, Fr. ; Finocchio, It. ; Fenchel, Ger. 



Description. — The root is fusiform and whitish. The stem is striated, solid, jointed, 

 shining, of a deep glaucous-green colour. The leaves are alternate, tripinnate, composed 

 of long, capillary, acute, drooping leaflets, and supported on petioles with a broad, mem- 

 branous, sheathing base. The flowers are in broad, flat, yellow, terminal umbels. The 

 petals are obovate, with their points inflexed ; the stamens are shorter than the petals, in- 

 curved, yellow, with roundish anthers. The styles are short, and the seeds oblong, very 

 little compressed, five-ribbed, and of a brownish-olive colour. 



The Fennel is a native of the South of Europe, but has become naturalized 

 in other parts, and is cultivated in gardens both there and in this country. 

 The officinal part is the seeds, of which three kinds are found in commerce : 

 1, ovoid, glabrous, of a dull green, marked with lines, of which two are more 

 prominent than the others ; these are the product of the F. vulgare, and are 

 seldom used; 2d, long, somewhat curved, of a brighter green, pedicel often ad- 

 hering to them, they are very aromatic ; these are the product of the F. offi- 

 cinale ; 3d, much broader and ovoid, ribs strongly marked; these are pro- 

 duced by the F. dulce, and form probably what Dr. Pereira terms shorts, 

 whilst No. 2 furnishes what he designates as longs. The variety dulce is 

 annual ; but, as the plant is only known in a cultivated state, this variation, 

 and its less aromatic but greater sweetness of taste may be safely attributed 

 to this cause, and not to any specific difference in the plants. The seeds 

 owe their properties to the presence of a volatile oil. 



Medical Properties. — Fennel seeds are carminative and stimulant, and are 

 used in infusion in the flatulent colic of children ; and the distilled water and 

 oil, like those of the anise and caraway, as vehicles for, or to correct the 

 action of other remedies. The leaves of the common fennel are used in 

 cookery, in sauces, and for garnishing dishes. The stalks of the sweet kind 

 are much used in Italy and Sicily as a culinary vegetable, under the name 

 of Finocchio dolce. 



The F. panmorium, of India, has a fruit exactly resembling the Fennel 

 seeds of commerce, and with the same odour and taste. It is employed in 

 its native country as a warm aromatic and carminative in flatulent colic and 

 dyspepsia. 



Section 4. Angelice^e. — Fruit with primary ribs only. Margin of carpels dilated into 

 a double wing. 



Archangelica . — Hoffmann. 



Calyx teeth short. Petals elliptical, entire, acuminate, with the point incurved. Fruit 

 somewhat compressed at the back. Carpels with three rather thick, carinated, dorsal 

 ribs ; lateral ribs dilated into marginal wings. Vittoe numerous, surrounding the 

 seed. 



21 



