Variety traits

Fennel leaf base thickening

Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

In vegetable fennel, the 'bulb' is a pseudo-stem formed by overlapping fleshy leaf petiole bases. It is a morphologically dense thickening whose quality is determined by the absence of cavities and mass at market maturity.

In the reference 33 varieties crop Fennel, where this is mentioned in the description.

Morphological thickening is characteristic exclusively of the vegetable fennel variety and is formed due to the expansion of leaf petioles. During variety testing, the shape, mass, and diameter of this organ are evaluated, as well as its density and lack of tendency to crack. The marketable mass of a single thickening in breeding varieties usually ranges from 150–200 g.

The expression of the trait directly depends on agricultural practices and genetic resistance to bolting. As the plant transitions to flowering, the growth of the thickening ceases and its tissues become coarse, which reduces market quality. To obtain a tender, blanched product, hilling is required, as well as maintaining an optimal water balance, since moisture deficit or damage to the taproot suppresses the formation of a proper 'bulb'.

General information about the subject — on the page Bulb.

Sources8

Varieties of Fennel mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.