Anise, also known as Dioscorides' Anise, is a fluffy, herbaceous plant cultivated since ancient times. Its seeds are medicinal and aromatic. It is used to flavor sweets and to scent beverages, and it also produces essential oil useful in pharmacy.

It has small white flowers and an egg-shaped, fluffy fruit. Hippocrates believed it stopped sneezing, and it was used by the ancient Greeks for colds. The Romans used it in a dessert they ate after meals to aid digestion.

The composition of anise includes coumarins, flavonoids, and essential oil with trans-anethole as the main component. It has warming and stimulating properties, improves digestion, and has an expectorant effect. It is used against coughs and is particularly effective for bronchial problems and asthma in children.

Its uses are varied: the decoction of the seeds is recommended as a diuretic, helps nursing mothers, and can be combined with other herbs for digestive issues. Externally, anise oil can be incorporated into ointments for scabies or help in the elimination of lice.

Overall, anise offers many beneficial properties that make it valuable in culinary applications and traditional medicine.