There are many properties of Star Anise that I would exactly call Plant folklore. If many pay more attention to things like the properties of some plants then They would learn some wonderful alternivite medicine ways.

This plant is most common in China and Vietnam, today it is most commonly grow in China, Indo-China and Japan. The Star Anise is a fruit from a small oriental tree. As the name suggests, the shape of the fruit is a star, normally with five to ten boat shape sections on average though there is about eight. These hard star like sections are the seed pods. To gather star anise they start picking the fruit before it is ripe and then dry it out. These hard sections are seed pods. The pods have tough skin and is the color of rust, measuring up to be about 1 1/4 inches or 3cm long. You can obtain these pods whole or already ground up which is a red-brown powder.

Star Anise licorice taste similar to regular anise, only stronger. Star Anise is a member of the magnolia family and can be found growing on an evergreen tree (Illicium Verum) that normally grow only in China and surrounding areas. Though Star Anise has the same taste and partical name of Anise they are not related at all. The medical attributes to Star Anise are; carminative, stomachic, stimulant, and diuretic properties. It was used to combat colic and rheumatism in the East and is also commonly used to flavor medicinal teas, cough mixture and pastilles.Star Anise is mostly used in Chinese medicine and cooking. They normally use it for a variety of stomach ailments and for bronchitis. More recently, Shikimic Acid, extracted from star anise, is one of the chief ingredients in the antiviral Tamiflu drug used to fight avian influenza.

In the East they use Star Anise often with food, it is almost the same as what the west’s aniseed. When going to buy star anise, which you can get in Asian markets or possibly now a days in the Asian section of your grocery store, you should alway try to get the whole pod with out broken pieces. Once you get them home you want to make sure they are in a air tight container to keep the flavor in them. In a air tight container star anise can keep good for several moths with out loosing any flavor. once it has lost flavor it is best to discard and buy new one. You may also be able to find Star Anise ground though very few recipes will call for it to be that way. When cooking with it, place one whole star into your meal while cooking and before serving discard the star anise.

There are also Magical uses of the Star Anise which is a Moon Herb, It is said that the star anise is carried whole for luck and it is burnt for clairvoyance and to increase psychic awareness. You can place the Star anise whole under your pillow at night to keep bad dreams away and also to dream of someone far away. It is a great herb to be used on the new moon for any rites down, because of it’s dark color. It is so aromatic that a small amount crushed up can easily scent a jar of oil rather strongly and ,makes an incense all on it’s own.