Ferula communis

Giant fennel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Ferula
Species: F. communis
Binomial name
Ferula communis
L.
Ferula communis - MHNT

Ferula communis, the giant fennel,[1] is a species in the genus Ferula of the Apiaceae. It is related to common fennel, which belongs to another genus (Foeniculum).

Ferula communis is a tall herbaceous perennial. It is found in Mediterranean and East African woodlands and shrublands.[2] It was known in antiquity as Laser[3] or narthex.[4]

In Sardinia two different chemotypes of Ferula communis have been identified: poisonous (especially to animals like sheep, goats, cattle, and horses) and not-poisonous.[5] They differ for both secondary metabolites pattern and enzymatic composition.[6]

The name of the phenolic compound ferulic acid comes from the giant fennel Latin name, where the compound can be isolated.

References

  1. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. Flora of Israel Online entry
  3. Apicius: A Critical Edition with an Introduction and an English Translation, ed. Grocok and Grainger
  4. Kandeler, R.; Ullrich, W. R. (2009). "Symbolism of plants: Examples from European-Mediterranean culture presented with biology and history of art: MARCH: Silphion and narthex". Journal of Experimental Botany. 60 (3): 715–717. doi:10.1093/jxb/erp041. PMID 19269995.
  5. Verotta, editor, Luisella (1997). Virtual activity, real pharmacology : different approaches to the search for bioactive natural compounds. Trivandrum, India: Research Signpost. ISBN 9788186481172.
  6. Zucca, Paolo; Sanjust, Enrico; Loi, Martina; Sollai, Francesca; Ballero, Mauro; Pintus, Manuela; Rescigno, Antonio (June 2013). "Isolation and characterization of polyphenol oxidase from Sardinian poisonous and non-poisonous chemotypes of Ferula communis (L.)". Phytochemistry. 90: 16–24. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.02.019.
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