SC - Anise & Fennel

[Jenne Heise]

> >The species I think most of us are familiar with is Star Anise:
> >I. verum (Chinese anise, Star anise) Small, rounded, evergreen tree with 
> >inversely lance shaped to narrowly elliptic, sharply tapered, glossy, dark 
> >green leaves, to 6 in (15 cm) long.  Star-shaped flowers, 1/2 in (1.5 cm) 
> >across, with pink or red -flushed yellow tepals, are borne in ealry summer, 
> >followed by glossy, red-brown fruit. 60 ft. (18m) tall by 20 ft. (6m). 
> >China, Vietnam, Zones 7-9.

This one-- Star Anise- might be toxic, but I don't think so. I'm not sure
if it is period.

The cooking anise most of us are familiar with (Pimpinella anisum) is one
of the Umbelliferae
(related to parsley), an 2-3 foot tall fringy annual which forms small
crescent-shaped seeds. All parts of the plant taste and smell like
licorice, and it is non-toxic.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.
	"Scratch a lover and find a foe." -- Dorothy Parker