Pinyin: Bajiaohuixiang
Aliases
Dahuixiang, Bajiaozhu, Bajiao, Daliao.
Source
Magnoliaceae plant *Illicium verum*Illicium verumDried ripe fruit of Hook.f.
Botanical Description
Evergreen tree, 10-20 m tall. Bark gray to reddish-brown with irregular fissures, branches dense and horizontally spreading. Leaves simple, alternate or 3-6 clustered at branch tips; petiole stout, about 1 cm long; leaf blade leathery, oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, 6-12 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, apex acuminate or acute, base cuneate, margin entire, upper surface dark green with luster and oil dots, lower surface pale green, sparsely pubescent. Flowers bisexual, solitary in leaf axils; perianth segments 7-12, in several whorls, imbricate, inner ones pink; stamens 11-19, in 1-2 whorls; carpels 8-9, free. Aggregate fruit, usually consisting of 8 follicles radially arranged in an octagonal shape, 3.5-4 cm in diameter, reddish-brown, woody; follicles with blunt or obtuse apex, dehiscing along the ventral suture when mature. Seed 1, flat-ovoid, glossy brown. Flowering in spring and autumn, fruiting from autumn to the following spring.
Habitat and Distribution
Born in warm, humid climates with loose soil, wild or cultivated, with many cultivated varieties. Distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested in autumn and winter when the fruit turns from green to yellow, then briefly blanched in boiling water and dried, or dried directly.
Medicinal Properties
This is a multi-follicle aggregate fruit, typically composed of 8 follicles arranged radially on a central axis. Each follicle measures 1-2 cm in length, 0.3-0.5 cm in width, and 0.6-1 cm in height; the outer surface is red-brown with irregular wrinkles, the apex is beak-shaped and often split open on the upper side; the inner surface is light brown, smooth, and glossy; the texture is hard and brittle. The fruit stalk is 3-4 cm long, attached to the center of the fruit base, curved, and often detached. Each follicle contains 1 seed, flat and ovoid, approximately 6 mm long, red-brown or yellow-brown, shiny, with a hilum at the tip; the endosperm is white and oily. Odor: aromatic; Taste: acrid and sweet.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains quercetin-3-O- Contains rhamnoside, quercetin, hydroxycinnamic acid, trans-anethole, and eucalyptol.
Pharmacology
Has antibacterial, leukocyte-increasing, estrogen-like, and stimulating effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, warm. Enters the Liver, Kidney, Spleen, and Stomach channels.
Functions and Indications
Warms Yang, disperses Cold, regulates Qi, and alleviates pain
Dosage and Administration
Internal: decoct in water, 3-6 g; or made into pills or powder. External: appropriate amount, ground into powder for topical application.
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in cases of Yin deficiency with Fire hyperactivity.
Prescriptions
1. For unbearable pain in the small intestine due to hernia: Xingren (Armeniaca Semen) 30 g, Congbai (Allii Fistulosi Bulbus, including root, pounded and dried) 15 g, and Bajiaohuixiang (Anisi Stellati Fructus) 30 g. Grind to powder. Take 9 g on an empty stomach, mixed with warm Hutao (Juglandis Semen) wine. (From *Xu Benshi Fang*). 2. For hernia: Fuling (Poria) 30 g, Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) 30 g, Shanzhazi (Crataegi Fructus, stir-fried) 30 g, Bajiaohuixiang (Anisi Stellati Fructus, stir-fried) 30 g, Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus, stir-fried) 30 g, Lizhihe (Litchi Semen) 30 g, Zhishi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus) 24 g, Juhe (Citri Reticulatae Semen, stir-fried) 90 g. Grind to powder, mix with honey to form pills, each pill weighing 4.5 g. Chew carefully on an empty stomach, taken with ginger decoction. (From *Shesheng Zhongmiao Fang*, Huixiang Wan). 3. For unilateral scrotal swelling (hernia): Bajiaohuixiang (Anisi Stellati Fructus) and Baiqianniu (Pharbitidis Semen, stir-fried), equal parts. Grind to fine powder. Take on an empty stomach, mixed with wine. (From *Zhushi Jiyan Fang*, Huixiang San). 4. For lumbar pain resembling stabbing: Bajiaohuixiang (Anisi Stellati Fructus), stir-fried and ground. Take 6 g before meals with salted water. Externally, use 1-2 sheng of Nuomi (Oryzae Semen Glutinosae), stir-fry hot, place in a bag, and tie over the painful area. (From *Jianbian Danfang*). 5. For constipation of both urine and stool, abdominal distension like a drum, and shortness of breath: Damazi (Cannabis Fructus, stir-fried, shell removed) 15 g and Bajiaohuixiang (Anisi Stellati Fructus) 7 pieces. Grind to powder, add 3-7 pieces of fresh Congbai (Allii Fistulosi Bulbus), grind together, decoct in water, and take with Wu Ling San (Five Substances Powder with Poria). (From *Yonglei Qianshu*).
