22 MAGNOLIACEtE. 



brown endopleura. The seed, which is not much aromatic, amounts to 

 about one-fifth of the entire weight of the fruit. 



Star-anise has an agreeable aromatic taste and smell, more resembling 

 fennel than anise, on which account it was at first designated Fo&ni- 

 culum Sinense} When pulverised, it has a sub-acid after-taste. 



Microscopic Structure — The carpels consist of an external, loose, 

 dark-brown layer and a thick inner wall, separated by fibro- vascular 

 bundles. The outer layer exhibits numerous large cells, containing 

 pale yellow volatile oil. The inner wall of the carpels consists of woody 

 prosen chyme in those parts which are exterior to the seed cavity, and 

 especially in the shining walls laid bare by the splitting of the ventral 

 suture. The inner surface of the carpel is entirely composed of scleren- 

 chyme. A totally different structure is exhibited by this stony shell 

 where it lines the cavity occupied by the seed. Here it is composed of 

 a single row of cells, consisting of straight tubes exactly parallel to one 

 another, more than 500 mkm. long, and 70 mkm. in diameter, placed 

 vertically to the seed cavity ; their porous walls, marked with fine 

 spiral striations, display splendid colours in polarized light. The seed 

 contains albumen and drops of fat. Starch is wanting in star-anise, 

 except a little in the fruit-stalk. 



Chemical Composition — The volatile oil amounts to four or five 

 per cent. Its composition is that of the oils of fennel or anise. We 

 observed that oil of star-anise, as distilled by one of us, continued fluid 

 below 8° C. It solidified at that temperature as soon as a crystal of 

 anethol (see our article on Fructus Anisi) was brought in contact with 

 the oil. The crystallized niass began to melt again at 16° C. The oils of 

 anise and star-anise possess no striking optical differences, both deviat- 

 ing very little to the left. We are unable to give any chemical 

 characters by which they can be discriminated, although they are dis- 

 tinguished by dealers ; the oil of star-anise imparts a somewhat different 

 flavour, for instance, to drinks than that produced by anise oil. 



Star-anise is rich in sugar, which seems to be cane-sugar inasmuch 

 as it does not reduce alkaline cupric tartrate. An aqueous extract of 

 the fruit assumes, on addition of alcohol, the form of a clear muci- 

 laginous jelly, of which pectin is probably a constituent. The seeds 

 contain a large quantity of fixed oil. 



Commerce — Star-anise is shipped to Europe and India from China. 

 In 1872 Shanghai imported, mostly by way of Hong-Kong 5273 peculs 

 (703,066 lb.), a large proportion of which was re-shipped to other ports 

 of China.^ According to Rondot (1. c.) the best is first brought by junks 

 from Fokien to Canton, being exported from Tsiouen-tchou-fou. A 

 little is also collected in Kiang-si and Kuang-tung. The same drug, 

 under the name of Bddiydne-khatdi (i.e. Chinese fennel), is carried by 

 inland trade from China to Yarkand and thence to India, where it is 

 much esteemed. 



Uses — Star-anise is employed to flavour spirits, the principal con- 

 sumption being in Germany, France, and Italy. It is not used in 

 medicine at least in England, except in the form of essential oil, which 

 is often sold for oil of aniseed. 



^Redi, Experimenta, Amstelod. 1675, p. "^Returns of Trade at the Treaty Porta 



172. in China for 1872, 4—8. 



