Common Name: Anise Essential Oil, anise oil
Botanical Name: Illicium verum
Family Name: Seeds
Parts Use: Fruit
Color: Pale Yellow

Anise Essential Oil Profile General Anise Star essential oil originates in China and has been used in Chinese medicine for over 1300 years. This pale yellow essential oil is obtained by steam distillation from the fruit, and small quantities from the leaves of the evergreen tree which grows up to 12 meters high with a tall, slender, white trunk. It bears fruit that consists of 5 to 13 seed-bearing follicles attached to a central axis in the shape of a star. It is a pale yellow liquid with a warm, spicy, extremely sweet, liquorice-like scent.

Anise oil, Illicium verum, has a distinctive scent of licorice. rich and sweet. Anise is said to promote digestion, improves appetite, alleviates cramps and nausea, cough, colds, and relieves flatulence, bad breath, and, especially in infants, colic. It is said to be useful as an expectorant for coughs. Said to promote the onset of menstruation when taken as an infusion. It has also been used to help relieve cramping, and spasms and is good as a stomatic.

For help in cases of insomnia, a few seeds in a glass of hot milk before bedtime. Can be made into a salve to use for relief of scabies or lice. A tea made from equal parts of anise, caraway, and fennel makes an excellent intestinal purifier. Because of its sweetness, it is a good additive to help to improve the flavor of other medicinal compounds.