by: Joe Hing kwok Chu

See picture here.

Pharmaceutical name: 英文藥名﹕	Fructus Foeniculi Vulgaris
Latin botanical name: 拉丁文學名﹕	Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
Pron. in Japanese: 日語發音﹕	shouikyo
Pron. in Korean: 韓語發音﹕	sohoehyang
Pron. in Cantonese: 粵音﹕	siu wui hiong
Other Names: 別名﹕	xiao hui 小茴﹐huai xiang 蘹香﹐hui xiang茴香﹐xiao hui小茴﹐hui xiang zi 茴香子。 Adas (Malay, Indonesian)
Common Name: 英文名﹕	fennel
Distribution: 產地﹕	throughout China and south east Asia
Properties (characteristics)﹕ 性味﹕	warm, acrid 性溫,味辛。
Medical functions: 藥理﹕
Channels (meridians) entered: 歸經﹕	liver, kidney, spleen, stomach 歸肝﹐腎﹐脾﹐胃四經。
Actions & Indications: 主治﹕	Cold type of hernia, Indigestion, gastric gas and colic , especially for babies. Swollen testes. Cholera and vomiting Beriberi For respiratory congestion and cough Frequent urination For stimulating the flow of breast milk. External use in abdominal pain: stir fry in pan until hot and wrap in cloth and apply to abdomen area for pain and cold sensation.   寒疝腹痛, 胸腹脹滿, 消化不良, 嬰兒鼓腸氣脹, 腸絞痛, 睪丸腫痛, 霍亂嘔吐, 胃炎食少, 腳氣, 小便數﹐ 催乳﹐ 外敷﹕腹部冷痛﹐ 炒熱銷茴﹐布包﹐熱敷於腹部。
Chemical ingredients: 化學成份﹕	果實含揮發油，成熟果實6.2%，未成熟果實8.6%. Fruits contain evaporating oil. Unripe fruit contain 8.6% and ripen fruit contain 6.2% 反式茴香脑 trans-Anethole)61.6～78.3% 亞油酸 linoleic acid 棕榈酸 palmitic acid 花生酸 arachidic acid 山萮酸 behenic acid 槲皮素 quercetin 植物甾醇酰基β-果糖呋喃甙 phytosteryl b-fructofuranoside 7-羟基香豆素 7-hydroxycoumarin 6，7-二羟基香豆素 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin 齊墩果酸 Oleanolic acid 穀 甾醇 sitosterol 豆甾醇 stigmasterol 小茴香酮 Fenchone α-蒎烯 α-pinene 檸檬烯 limonene 莰烯 camphene  β-蒎烯 β-Pinene β-香叶烯 β-Myrcene α-水芹烯 α-Phellandrene P-伞花醇 P-Cymol 草蒿腦 Estragole 甲基胡椒酚 Methyl chavicol 岩芹酸 petroselinic acid Δ7-豆甾烯醇 Δ7-Stigmastenol 菜油甾醇 campesterol 胆甾醇 choline sterol Δ7-菜油甾烯醇 Δ7-Campestenol Δ5- 燕麦甾醇 Δ5-Avenasterol 菜油甾二烯醇 campestadienol 豆甾二烯醇 stigmastadienol 二戊烯 dipentene 茴香醚 (茴香腦) anethole (C10H12O) 50～60% d-小茴香酮 d-fenchone (C10H16O) 18～20% 小茴香酸 anisic acid 對-傘花烴 p-cymene 歐芹酸 petroselinic acid 順式茴香醚 cisanethole 愛草醚 estragole 小茴香醛 anise aldehyde
Dosage: 用量﹕	3 to 20 g. Concentrated extract: 0.5 to 2 g. 3～20克。濃縮中藥：0.5～2克。
Samples of formulae: 處方舉例﹕	an zhong san 安中散﹐   暖肝湯 (景岳全書) 治陰寒小腹疼痛，疝氣等：小茴香﹐肉桂﹐沉香﹐烏藥﹐當歸﹐枸杞﹐茯苓﹐生薑。 荔枝散 (證治准繩)：治疝氣﹐陰核腫大，痛不可忍：荔枝核（用新鮮者，燒炭存性）14 枚，八角茴香（炒）、沉香、木香、青鹽、食鹽各3g，川楝子肉、小茴香各6g。上為細末， 每服9g，空腹時熱酒調下。
Modern Research: 現代研究﹕	to be loaded
Cautions: 禁忌﹕	Use caution in cases of yinxu (yin deficient) and lack of liquid. Not recommended for pregnant women with weak constitution or use care when using it.   陰虛 津液不足者慎用。 體質太虛弱的孕婦忌服或慎服。

　 We thank Paul Pilkington of Australia for financial contribution of this webpage.