Botanical Name : Illicium verum
Family : Magnoliaceae
Introduction
Illicium comes from the Latin illicio meaning “entice” or “seduce”. Verum means “true” or “genuine”. Badiyan or Star anise oil, known for its strong fragrance, is widely used in cooking, perfumery, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and skin creams.
Names in different languages
English – Star anise
Hindi- Badiyan
Morphology
It is a medium-sized evergreen tree. The leaves are aromatic, simple, lanceolate to obovate-elliptic, measuring 5–15 cm × 2–5 cm, and coriaceous. Flowers are solitary, bisexual, pink to dark red, with 7–12 spiral perianth lobes, 11–20 stamens, and typically 8 free carpels. Tepals are broadly elliptic, and anthers measure 1–1.5 mm. The fruit is a star-shaped, reddish-brown follicetum, consisting of 6–8 boat-shaped follicles, each containing one seed. Seeds are brown, smooth, shiny, and brittle, about 8–9 mm × 6 mm.
Distribution & Habitat
South china and north east Vietnam.
Chemical constituents
volatiles, seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpenes, phenylpropanoids, lignans, flavonoids.
Properties
Madhur kashaya rasa
Vatashamak, Deepana, Pachana, Mutrala.
Indications
Daurgandhya, Danta shula, Puti danta, Pratishyaya, Karna shula
Part used
Fruit
Dose
Powder- 250-500 mg
Oil – 1-2 drops
Uses
Cold (Rhinitis) – Drinking a decoction made from star anise can help alleviate symptoms of cold.
Earache – Putting 1-2 drops of star anise oil in the ear can relieve earache.
Toothache – Applying 1-2 drops of star anise seed oil to the teeth (as a local application) can alleviate toothache.
