1/2 oz. bottle
Botanical Name: Illicium verum
Plant Part: Seeds
Extraction Method: Steam distillation
Origin: China
Description: A small to medium evergreen tree of the magnolia family, reaching up to 8m (26ft). The leaves are lanceolate and the axillary flowers are yellow. The fruits are harvested before they ripen, then sun dried. It is, as the name suggests, star shaped, radiating between five and ten pointed boat-shaped sections, about eight on average. These hard sections are seedpods. Tough skinned and rust coloured, they measure up to 3cm (1-1/4”) long. The fruit is picked before it can ripen, and dried.
Color: Clear to pale yellow
Common Uses: Like anise, anise star has carminative, stomachic, stimulant and diuretic properties. In the East it is used to combat colic and rheumatism. It is a common flavoring for medicinal teas, cough mixtures and pastilles.
Consistency: Light
Note: Top
Strength of Aroma: Strong
Blends well with: Lavender, pine, orange, rosewood, clove, and cinnamon
Aromatic Scent: Powerful and liquorice-like, more pungent and stronger than anise.
History: Star Anise is so named from the stellate form of its fruit. It is often chewed in small quantities after each meal to promote digestion and sweeten the breath. The Japanese plant the tree in their temples and on tombs; and use the pounded bark as incense. The homoeopaths prepare a tincture from the seeds.
Cautions: Anise star from China is generally non-toxic and non-irritating (unlike Illicium anisatum the Japanese variety that is long considered toxic).