Ferula communis

Ferula communis, the giant fennel, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family 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. It was known in antiquity as Laser or narthex. In Sardinia two different chemotypes of Ferula communis have been identified: poisonous (especially to animals like sheep, goats, cattle, and horses) and not-poisonous. They differ for both secondary metabolites pattern and enzymatic composition. The name of the phenolic compound ferulic acid comes from the giant fennel Latin name, where the compound can be isolated.