Star anise

Star anise

(common folk herbs in Kunming)

[source] the whole plant of Illicium verum, a leguminous plant.

[plant morphology] star anise

Perennial herbs. Stem erect, creeping or oblique, 30-100 cm long. Sparsely pubescent when young. Leaflets 11-25, opposite, obovate or obovate elliptic, 6-23 mm long, 4-10 mm wide, apex slightly pointed, entire, base cuneate, glabrous above, white pubescent below, almost sessile. 8-20 flowers are arranged in a compact head like raceme, slightly radial; the total pedicel is 5-12 cm long, sparsely pubescent; the Corolla is reddish purple, about 1.5 cm long. The pod is cylindrical, erect, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 5-7 mm wide, slightly flat on both sides, with a beak at the apex. Seeds oblong, brownish black.

Born on hillside, roadside, grass. Distributed in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places.

[collection] harvest in autumn, wash and dry.

[flavor] bitter and astringent, cool.

Functions and indications: clearing away heat, detoxifying and diuretic. Treatment of tonsillitis, edema, toothache, oronasal bleeding, measles.

[usage and dosage] oral: decoction, 3-5 yuan.