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Anise Seed | | Name : | Anise Seed | | Synonyms : | Aniseplant
Aniseed
Aniseseed
Commonanise
Hua-hsian
| | Parts Used : | Seed | | Habitat : | Anise occurs wild but is widely cultivated. Native to the Mediterranean. | | Description : | An annual plant; the spindle-shaped, thin, woody root sends up around, grooved, branched stem up to 1 1/2 feet high.The lowest leaves are round-cordate and long-petioled, the middleleaves are pinnate, and those at the top are incised into narrow lobes.The small, white flowers appear in compound umbels during July andAugust. The downy, brown ovate fruit is about 1/8 inchlong and ripens during August and September. The whole plant has afragrant odor, and the seeds taste sweet when chewed. It has a licorice-likeflavor. | | Constituents : | Essential oil with anethole, choline, fatty oil
Antispasmodic, antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, expectorant,stimulant, stomachic, tonic | | Uses : | Anise promotes digestion,improves appetite, alleviatescramps and nausea, cough, colds,and relieves flatulence, badbreath, and, especially in infants, colic(mothers who sip anise tea will relieve the colic in the breast feedingbaby). Is useful as an expectorant for coughs. Anise water promotesmilk production in nursing mothers, and a soothing eyewash. Said topromote the onset of menstruation when taken as an infusion. Aniseoil helps relieve cramping, and spasms and is good as a stomach tonic.For insomnia, that a few seedsin a glass of hot milk before bedtime. Can be made into a salve touse for scabies or lice. A tea made from equal parts of anise, caraway,and fennel makes an excellent intestinal purifier. Because of itssweetness, anise is a good additive to improve the flavor of othermedicines.
Anisette, sold in most liquor stores, has volatile oil of anise aspart of the preparation. Anisette is reputedly helpful for bronchitisand spasmodic asthma. Takenin hot water, anisette is said to be an immediate palliative.
5 to 10 drops of anise oil on top of a tsp. of honey, taken every1/2 hour before meals, is said to be helpful in somecases of emphysema. 15 drops of essence of anise addedto 1 quart of hot water, used as an inhalant, will sometimeshelp stubborn cases of laryngitis.
Anise has a wide variety of applications in cooking as well as medicine. | | Dosage : | As seeds ripen, turning from green to gray-brown, harvest them. Alcoholextracts the medicinal properties of anise more effectively than water.
Infusion: use 1 tsp. crushed seed to 1/2or 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10 minutesand strain. Take 1 to 1 1/2 cups duringthe day, a mouthful at a time.
Decoction: for colic, boil 1 tbsp. seed in 1/2pint milk for 10 minutes; strain and drink hot.
Tincture: to prepare, add 2 oz. seed to 1/2qt. brandy. Add some clean lemon peels and let stand in a sunnyplace for 20 days, then strain. Take 1 tsp.at a time.
Anise water: boil 1/2 tsp. seed in 1/2pint water, then strain. | | Myths : | Most people don't think of anise in terms of its popularity withmice, but in the 16th century, anise found wide application as a mouse-trapbait. According to several old herbals, the mice found it irresistible.The Romans served a wedding cake strongly flavored with anise seedsto help prevent indigestion caused by overeating at the marriage banquet.From this ancient practice came the tradition of baking special cakesfor weddings.
Anise is called Huai-hsiang in China, eaten to relieve flatulenceand griping bowels. The Herbal Almanac states the a few drops of Oilof Anise, or Oil of Rhodium on a trappers bait will entice any wildanimal into the snare trap. | | Sold : | Seed |
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