Fennel Fruit (shaped like rice grain, with 5 raised ridges)

Burdock Fruit, Fennel Fruit, Arborvitae Seed, with shell

【Naming】

Fennel Fruit

【Source】

Newly Revised Materia Medica (Xin Xiu Ben Cao)

【Common Usage Level】

C

【Botanical Origin】

The dried, mature fruit of the Umbelliferae plant Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

【Characteristics】

A schizocarp, small cylindrical, pointed at both ends, 5~8㎜ long, about 2㎜ wide, with a yellowish-green to greyish-brown surface. Sometimes it has a small fruit stalk at the base and the remains of a brownish-yellow style base at the top. The mericarp is oblong, with 5 raised ridges. The cross-section is pentagonal, with the four dorsal sides approximately equal in length and the commissural surface flat. It has an aromatic odor and a fragrant, slightly pungent taste. Salt-processed fennel fruit: yellowish-brown in color.

【Processing】

1. Fennel Fruit 2. Salt-processed Fennel Fruit

【Identification】

《Ben Jing Feng Yuan》: “It doesn’t have to be strictly adhered to, but it’s best to choose those that grow in deep mountain valleys on gravelly banks.”
《Liang Lie Jian Bie》: “Those with large grains, yellowish-brown color, and fragrance are good.”
Good quality fennel fruit should have uniform and plump grains, a clear yellowish color, be fresh, have a strong fragrance, be free from insect infestation, and be free from impurities.

【Category】

Fruit