Description
Fennel seeds are the dried seed of the fennel herb, Foeniculum Vulgare. It is a perennial herb and belongs to the carrot family, Apiaceae. Fennel plant is grown for its edible shoots, leaves and seeds. It is native to southern Europe and Asia Minor. Fennel is cultivated in temperate regions worldwide and is considered an invasive species in Australia and parts of the United States.
The plant grows to a height of up to 2.5 metres with hollow stems. Fennel produces miniature, yellow coloured flowers, and their arrangement is such that each umbel consists of 20 to 50 individual flowers. Fennel grows best in full sun. It takes around two months for the fennel to be ready for harvesting. Fennel seeds can be harvested as soon as they are ripe and the plant’s flowers have turned brown. The small dry fruits are greenish brown to yellowish brown oblong ovals about 6 mm long with five prominent longitudinal dorsal ridges.
