Myrrhis odorata.

Myrrhis odorata Scop. Umbelliferae. Anise. Myrrh. Sweet Chervil. Sweet Cicely.

South Europe and Asia Minor. This plant was formerly much cultivated in England as a potherb but is now fallen into disuse. The leaves were eaten either boiled in soups or stews, or used as a salad in a fresh state. The leaves and roots are still eaten in Germany and the seed is used occasionally for flavoring. In Silesia, according to Bryant, the roots are eaten boiled and the green seeds are chopped up and mixed with salads to give them an aromatic flavor. This aromatic herb can scarcely be considered as an inmate of American gardens, although so recorded by Burr, 1863. In 1597, Gerarde, says the leaves are "exceeding good, holsom, and pleasant among other sallade herbes, giving the taste of Ainse unto the rest." In 1778, Mawe records that it is used rarely in England. Pliny seems to refer to its use in ancient Rome under the name anthriscus. It finds notice in most of the early botanies.

Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, 1919, was edited by U. P. Hedrick.