About Ferula communis L.
Ferula communis, commonly known as giant fennel, is a flowering plant species in the Apiaceae (carrot) family. It is related to common fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), which is also a member of the same family. Giant fennel is a tall herbaceous perennial plant. It grows naturally in Mediterranean and East African woodlands and shrublands. In antiquity, this species was known as laser or narthex.
Young stems and inflorescences of Ferula communis were eaten as food in ancient Rome, and they remain a food source in Morocco today. Culinary use of this species is not always safe, however, and poisoning can occur. Two distinct chemotypes of Ferula communis have been identified in Sardinia: one poisonous (especially harmful to animals including sheep, goats, cattle, and horses) and one non-poisonous. These two chemotypes differ in both their secondary metabolite patterning and enzymatic composition. The resin from the subspecies F. communis subsp. brevifolia is known as Morocco gum ammoniac. The phenolic compound ferulic acid gets its name from giant fennel, as it can be isolated from this plant.
