Ferula communis, the giant fennel, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae. It is somewhat related to common fennel, which belongs to another genus, Foeniculum, also in the family Apiaceae.
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, ...