SWEET CICELY
(Myrrhis odorata)
garden myrrh, sweet chervil, anise root

Description: The thin branching stems grow upright from a tap root, 2-3 ft., with several, aromatic, finely-cut, fernlike leaves. Small, white nectarous flowers appear in terminal clusters, that ripen into large, narrow fruits. Both seeds and leaves have a slight anise scent. Seeds take up to 8 months to germinate. Native of Europe, found in light woodland, grassy places, moist shade, cultivated in gardens. North American Sweet Cicely is Osmorhiza longistylis.

Edible, Medicinal: The anise-flavored, green seeds are eaten raw or sprinkled on fruit salads and to flavor liqueurs. Fresh leaves, chopped into omelets, soups, stews and cooked with acid fruits to reduce tartness. Roots, like fennel are grated into salads, picked or cooked. Antiseptic, carminative, expectorant, digestive, tonic The whole herb can be used much like anise. A tea from the seeds is used to promote digestion, improve appetite, relieve cramps , nausea, gas, colic in infants, mucous congestion, anemia in elderly. Add 1 tsp. crushed seeds to 1/2 cup boiling water, steep 15 min., take as needed. A decoction of the root can be crushed into a poultice for boils.

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