Cicely
Cicely, also myrrh, anise fern, and sweet chervil, common name for an herb with leaves that smell strongly of anise or licorice, member of the carrot family. The name cicely is also used for a related genus of herbaceous perennials (plants that live at least three years and have nonwoody stems) with fleshy roots, tiny white or yellow flowers, and cylindrical fruit. Both the herb and the genus are also called sweet cicely. A native of Europe, cicely reaches about 1 m (about 3 ft) in height and has pale green, anise-scented, fernlike leaves that consist of three lance-shaped leaflets. The small, whitish flowers form umbrella-shaped clusters in early spring and late summer. The shiny, ribbed fruit is about 2.5 cm (about 1 in) long and grows in upright clusters. The cicely herb grows best in moist, shady sites and survives winter temperatures as low as -40° C (-40° F). It does not grow well in tropical or subtropical regions. The leaves, stems, and seed pods can be used to add an anise fl...