Anise Burnet Saxifrage

This species is widely cultivated in mild-temperate regions (especially C and SW Asia and C and S Europe) for its aromatic fruit (anise), which is used in perfume and to flavor alcoholic drinks and confectionary. The species has reputed medicinal value in China.

Plants annual, 10–50 cm, sparsely shortly pubescent throughout, strongly aromatic. Taproot slender. Stem much-branched. Leaves heteromorphic. Basal leaves simple; petioles 2–5 cm; blade reniform or broad-ovate, 1–3 × 1.2–2.8 cm, puberulent along veins, margin serrate. Cauline leaves 1–2-pinnate; ultimate segments ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 6–17 × 2–7 mm, 3-lobed margin serrate or lacerate. Leaves reduced upwards, becoming 3-lobed; lobes lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Umbels 1.5–6 cm across; bracts 1(or 2) or absent, linear-lanceolate, 1–2 mm; rays 7–15, 1–4 cm, unequal; bracteoles 1(or 2) or absent, linear, 2–3 mm; umbellules 5–10 mm across, ca. 10-flowered; pedicels 2–6 mm, extending to 10 mm in fruit. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals white, obcordate, abaxially pubescent, apex with incurved lobule. Stylopodium conic; styles ca. 3 × stylopodium, ca. 0.5 × fruit, spreading or reflexed. Fruit oblong-ovoid, 3–5 × 2–2.5 mm, densely appressed setose-hairy; vittae 2–4 in each furrow, 4–8 on commissure, nearly forming a continuous ring around seed. Seed face plane. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 20.

Cultivated. Xinjiang [possibly native to SW Asia, but now known only in cultivation].