Pimpinella anisum (anise)

Japanese name: アニス
Scientific name: Pimpinella anisum

[Overview]
An annual about 50 cm tall.
The leaves are of two kinds: basal leaves and leaves alternate on the stem; the basal leaves are 1–5 cm long and are simple or shallowly lobed.
The stem leaves are finely cut, once pinnately in the lower ones and two to three times pinnately in the upper ones.
The leaf margins are toothed.
Compound umbels bear many small white to cream 5-petaled flowers about 0.3 cm across.
There are usually no involucral bracts at the base of the inflorescence, and involucels are either absent or few.
The fruit is oblong, about 0.5 cm long, a cremocarp made of two joined mericarps.

[History]
It has been cultivated in Egypt for about 4,000 years and was also used as a preservative for mummies.
It was also used medicinally in ancient Greece and Rome.

[Uses]
The leaves and stems are used as a vegetable in salads and other dishes.
The fruit (anise seed, aniseed) is used to flavor cooking, sweets and liqueurs, is also medicinal, and yields an essential oil.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers fertile soil that is sunny and well drained.
It has a taproot and dislikes transplanting, so sow directly or sow in pots and then transplant.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
If basal fertilizer is applied, no further fertilizing is particularly needed.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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