Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), also known as F. officinale, is a
member of the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) or carrot family, along
with dill (Anethum graveolens), caraway (Carum carvi), and anise
(Pimpinella anisum). Fennel has a thick, spindle-shaped taproot
that produces a pithy, smooth or finely-fluted round stem that
may reach to 6 ft (1.8 m) in height. The finely divided leaves,
with numerous thread-like segments, grow from a sheath
surrounding the stalk at the base of the leaf stem. The
delicate, blue-green filiform leaf segments have a pungent
scent, somewhat similar to licorice, and an anise-like flavor.
This characteristic is due to the presence of the phytochemical
anethol, also a primary constituent of anise oil. Fennel's tiny
yellow flowers form in large, compound umbells. The blossoms are
frequently visited by bees, wasps, and other insects, and fennel
leaf is a favorite food of the swallowtail-butterfly.  This
perennial native of the Mediterranean is called marathon in
Greece, a name derived from the