10 1LLICIUM ANISATUM 



slender, short, slightly recurved, with the brownish stigma on its 

 ventral surface. Fruit consisting of 8 or more coriaceous- woody, 

 wrinkled, boat-shaped, more or less beaked, orange-brown follicles 

 arranged in a radiated, spreading circle, and attached by their bases 

 to a central axis, dehiscing along their ventral (upper) margin by 

 a broad chink, internally bright yellow and shining. Seed soli- 

 tary, in a cavity scooped out in the lower part of the carpel, 

 attached to the axis, ovoid, compressed, polished and shining, 

 hilum large, embryo very small, immersed in the abundant endo- 

 sperm near the hilum. 



Habitat. This shrub is planted in the neighbourhood of the 

 temples in Japan and is cultivated in China. In the former it 

 was first collected by Kaempfer and Thunberg, in the latter 

 by Loureiro. The plants of the two countries have been 

 considered to be different species in consequence of the fruits 

 of the Japanese tree being somewhat less rough, and having 

 a sharper and more recurved beak. It is now, however, gene- 

 rally held (Miquel, Baillon) that the differences are of but 

 little value. As cultivated in England, where it was introduced 

 in 1842, it is found to vary in the size of the flowers and 

 leaves. It produces abundance of its pretty scented blossoms 

 from January to April, and sometimes also in the autumn. 



Kaempfer, Amcen. Exotic. (1712), p. 880; Loureiro, Fl. Cochin, i, 

 p. 353; DC. Syst. Veg., i, p. 441 ; Adansonia, viii (1867), p. 1 ; 

 Franchet &, Savatier, Enum. PL Jap., i, p. 15; Lindl., FL 

 Med., p. 25. 



Official Parts and Names. OLEUM ANISI ; the oil distilled in 

 Europe from the fruit of Pimpinella Anisum, Linn., and the oil 

 distilled in China from the fruit of Illicium anisatum, Linn. 

 (B. P.). The fruit (Star Anise) (I. P.) Not official in the 

 United States Pharmacopoeia ; the official oil of anise being there 

 directed to be obtained from Pimpinella Anisum only. 



1. THE FEUIT. The fruit of Illicium anisatum is commonly 

 termed Star- Anise, from its stellately-arranged carpels. In its 



