Myrrhis odorata, with common names cicely ( ), sweet cicely, myrrh, garden myrrh, and sweet chervil, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus Myrrhis.
Etymology
The genus name Myrrhis derives from the Greek word myrrhis (μυρρίς), an aromatic oil from Asia. The Latin specific epithet odorata means 'scented'.
Description
thumb|upright=0.7|Illustration of Myrrhis odorata Myrrhis odorata is a tall herbaceous perennial plant growing to tall and wide. The leaves are fernlike, 2–4-pinnate, finely divided, feathery, up to long, with whitish patches near the rachis. The plant is softly hairy and smells strongly of aniseed when crushed. The flowers are creamy-white, about 2–4 mm across, produced in large umbels. The flowering period extends from May to June. The fruits are slender, dark brown, 15–25 mm long and 3–4 mm broad.
Distribution and habitat
Myrrhis odorata is native to mountains of southern and central Europe, from the Pyrenees to the Caucasus. It has been introduced and naturalized elsewhere in cultivated areas, woodland margins, roadside verges, river banks and grassland. In the British Isles it is most abundant in northern England and eastern Scotland.
Its leaves are sometimes used as a herb, either raw or cooked, with a rather strong or sweet taste similar to anise. Also edible are the roots (cooked like parsnips) and seeds (chewed raw). Its essential oils are dominated by anethole.