Fennel similar spices – anise, star anise, and coriander. In 2014, India produced 60% of the world total of fennel, with China and Bulgaria as leading secondary producers (table). Many species in the family Apiaceae or Umbelliferae are superficially similar to fennel, and some, such as poison hemlock, are toxic, so it is unwise, and potentially extremely dangerous, to use any part of any of these plants as an herb or vegetable unless it can be positively identified as being edible. Dill, coriander, and caraway are similar-looking herbs, but shorter-growing than fennel, reaching only . Dill has thread-like, feathery leaves and
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