Fennel is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including in its native range the mouse moth and the Old-World swallowtail. Where it has been introduced in North America it may be used by the anise swallowtail. The word "fennel" developed from the Middle English "fenel" or "fenyl". This came from the Old English "fenol" or "finol", which in turn came from the Latin "feniculum" or "foeniculum", the diminutive of "fenum" or "faenum", meaning "hay". The Latin word for the plant was "ferula", which is now used as the genus name of a related plant. The
Fennel as 'biscuit root'. Most "Lomatium" spp. have finely divided, hairlike leaves; their roots have a delicate rice-like odor, unlike the musty odor of hemlock. "Lomatium" species tend to prefer dry rocky soils devoid of organic material. The aromatic character of fennel seeds derives from volatile oils imparting mixed aromas, including trans-anethole and estragole (resembling liquorice), fenchone (mint and camphor), Limonene, 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom). Other phytochemicals found in fennel seeds include polyphenols, such as rosmarinic acid and luteolin, among others in minor content. Fennel Fennel ("Foeniculum vulgare") is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb