Latin name: Pimpinella anisum .

Description :
The fruit is used in the East as a remedy for colic and rheumatism, and in China for seasoning dishes, especially sweets Anise was used by the Romans both for medical purposes and to flavor a rich ceremonial cake, from which fruit wedding cakes are supposed to have derived. Gee just read this myself. Never have I heard of a fruit wedding cake…See I am learning too.

Perennial. Quite hardy. Anise will grow to about 3'. She has small purplish blue flowers in late summer. Anise grows best in dry light soil in a warm sunny position. It should produce plenty of seed and seeds itself readily. Plant seed in April where you want it to grow, They not transplant well. Thin out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle, leaving about 8 inches between plants.

In August, when the green seeds begin to turn yellow, the plants are cut down, tied in bunches and hang upside down in a loosely tied brown bag. In about a week they will be fully ripe and with a good shake of the plant the seeds will all fall into the bag. The seeds contain all the goodness and flavor of anise, and these are used for medical and cooking.

Anise is an effective remedy for a dry cough and for chest infections. It is taken in the form of tea made from the seeds. The volatile oil in Aniseed provides the basis for its internal use to ease griping, intestinal colic andflatulence. It also has an expectorant and anti-spasmodic action and maybe used in bronchitis, in tracheitis where there is persistentirritable coughing, and in whooping cough. Externally, the oil maybe used in an ointment base for the treatment of scabies. The oil by itself will help in the control of lice. Aniseed has been demonstrated to increase mucociliary transport and so supporting its use as an expectorant. It has mild estrogenic effects, thought to be due to the presence of dianethole and photoanethole, which explains the use of this plant in folk medicine to increase milk secretion, facilitate birth and increase libido.

Actions: anodyne, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic (large doses), antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, cooking spice, decreases the griping of irritating cathartics, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, flavoring agent, galactogogue, improves memory, mild antimicrobial, mild expectorant, parasiticide, secretagogue, secretolytic, stimulant, uterine stimulant

Traditional uses: asthma, bronchitis, cancer, cholera, chronic cough, colic, dyspepsia, failing memory, flatulence, flatulent colic, indigestion, pediculosis (topical), pertussis, scabies (topical), senility, sinusitis, spasmodic cough, stomachache, tracheitis