ANISE, Pimpinella anisum, an annual plant of the natural order umbelliferce. The genus pimpinella has compound umbels, usually without involucres. Two species are natives of Britain; they are commonly known by the name of burnt saxifrage, and have no properties of importance. A. is a native of Egypt. It is an annual plant; the stem is 1A- to 2 ft. high, dividing into several slender branches; the lower leaves roundish heart-shaped, divided into three lobes, and deeply cut; those of the stem pinnate, with wedge-shaped leaflets. The umbels are large and loose, with yellowish-white flowers. It is much cultivated in Egypt, Syria, Malta, and Spain, and even in Germany, especially in the district around Erfurt, where a large quantity of the seed is annually produced. Attempts were made, more than 200 years ago, to cultivate it in England; but the sum mers are seldom warm enough to bring it to perfection. It is occasionally sown in gar
dens for a garnish or for seasoning. A.-seed (aniseed) is used as a condiment and in the preparation of liqueurs; also in medicine as a stimulant stomachic, to relieve flatulence, etc., particularly in infants; and it has been used in pulmonary affections. It has an aromatic, agreeable smell, and a warm, sweetish taste. It contains a volatile oil called oil of A., which is nearly colorless, has the odor and taste of the seed, and is employed for similar purposes. One hundred-weight of seed yields about 2 lbs. of oil, which is obtained by distillation; but at Erfurt the oil is made from the stems and leaves, the whole plant being aromatic. A.-water—water flavored with the oil, and sugared—is much used in Italy as a cooling drink.