Pimpinella (Anise)
By Pertinax
- 1,590 views
- View Pertinax's images
Known to Ancient Greece and Rome, cultivated in tuscany in Imperial times.Mustaceae is I believe the Roman spice in question.
Now some of you will be asking , does this not look a little like Yarrow and Hemlock ? and , if I get it wrong I might cure a nosebleed but also possibly poison my guests? The flower heads on Anise are very fine and clumped , the stem tastes strongly of aniseed . Hemlock has 4 pinnate leaves and purple blotches on the stem ,and is much more likely to be near water. Yarrow smells peppery and has a fern like leaf.
Giant Hogweed is the monster mutant grandaddy of this family.
Once again I note a wider range of chemical constituents in those variants from Egypt-though the herb is now spread far and wide.It is mildly oestrogenic hence its folk use for stimulating breast feeding mothers.
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.