320 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Linn., Sp. PI. 379; Woodville, i. 135; Stokes, ii. 140; Stephenson and 

 Churchill, iii. 156 ; Lindley, Fl. Med. 38. 

 Common Name. — Anise. 

 Foreign Names. — L'anise, Ft. ; Anice, It.; Anis, Ger. ; Annison, Arab. 



Description. — Root fusiform, woody. Stem erect, branched, solid, round, jointed, stri- 

 ated, somewhat rough or downy, and about a foot high. The lower leaves are roundish, 

 somewhat three to five-lobed, unequally-toothed, and supported on furrowed, sheath-like 

 petioles ; those on the upper part of the stem are divided into narrow, pinnated, acute 

 segments. The flowers are small and white, in flat, terminal umbels, without any invo- 

 lucre. The calyx is very minute, or wanting. The corolla consists of five nearly equal, 

 obcordate petals, incurved at tip. The stamens are five, filiform, longer than the petals, 

 with roundish anthers. The ovary is ovate, downy, with slender styles bearing obtuse 

 stigmas. The fruit is ovate ; the mericarps with five rather prominent ribs, the intervals 

 being rugose. 



The Anise is a perennial, and was originally a native of Egypt, but is now 

 extensively cultivated in many parts of Europe, especially in Spain, Malta, 

 and Germany. The seeds are the officinal portion. These are slightly com- 

 pressed, ovate, of a grayish-green colour, with five paler, narrow ridges, and 

 somewhat downy. Their odour is aromatic, and their taste grateful and 

 sweetish. They are principally imported from the Mediterranean, and from 

 some of the German ports; but the first are preferred. They owe their pro- 

 perties to a volatile oil, which is officinal ; but is almost superseded by the 

 oil of the Illicium anisatum, which resembles it in almost every particular. 



Medical Properties. — Anise is an aromatic stimulant, and is used both in 

 the form of infusion and in the oil in colic, dyspepsia, and to prevent the 

 griping effects of some purgatives. The principal employment of it is by the 

 confectioner and distiller. Hoffmann strongly recommends these seeds in 

 weakness of the stomach and bowels, and says that they fully deserve the 

 appellation bestowed upon them by Van Helmont, of intestinorum solamen. 

 It is said that the milk of women, who have taken the oil, is impregnated with 

 its odour, which may account for an idea formerly entertained, that this oil 

 promoted the secretion of that fluid. Vogel states a curious fact with regard 

 to it, that a few drops will destroy a pigeon, and this has been noticed by 

 other writers. The smell is peculiarly inviting to rats, and forms one of the 

 flavouring ingredients in the pastes, &c. used to destroy these animals. Anise 

 is the basis also of a very common liqueur, known under the name of Ani- 

 seed Cordial, or Crime cC anise. 



The root of P. saxifraga is astringent; and, according to Burnett, is em- 

 ployed as a masticatory in toothache, and, in decoction, to remove freckles. 

 Two other European species, P. magna, and P. dissecta, have similar pro- 

 perties. 



Section 3. Seseline^e. — Fruit with primary ribs only ; the transverse section orbicular. 



Reniculum. — Gcertner. 



Margin of calyx tumid, toothless. Petals roundish, entire, involute. Mericarps with 

 five prominent, blunt ridges, the lateral ones broader and marginal. Intervals univittate. 

 Commissure bivittate. Seed nearly semi-terete. 



A genus of herbaceous plants, which was formerly included in Anethum, 

 but was separated by Gairtner on account of the difference of the seed. They 

 are biennial and perennial, with tapering, somewhat striated stems, and pin- 

 natifid, decompound leaves, having setaceous, linear segments; the involucre 

 is almost wanting; the flowers are yellow. Some confusion exists with 



