Stats

Lifespan

Up to 100 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Subtropical forest

Range

Southeast Asia

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Rare

About

Star anise is a small evergreen tree native to southern China and northeast Vietnam, prized for its star-shaped fruit whose eight-pointed pods contain seeds with an intense licorice-like aroma. It is the primary natural source of shikimic acid, a key ingredient in the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

• Read on Wikipedia →
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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Austrobaileyales

Family

Schisandraceae

Genus

Illicium

Species

Illicium verum