Japanese star anise

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Japanese star-anise
• aniseedtree
• sacred anisetree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Illicium variegatum
• Illicium religiosum
• Illicium anisatum var. roseum
• Badianifera anisatum
• Badianifera officinarum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Austrobaileyales, falling into the family Schisandraceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Illicium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is native to several regions across Eastern Asia. Its geographical range includes the islands of Japan and the Nansei-shotto archipelago. It is also commonly found growing throughout the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, the species is distributed across the island of Taiwan. These specific locations define the primary natural habitat for this medicinal species.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Morphology

The morphology of Illicium anisatum is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically manifesting as a tree. While some members of the Illicioideae subfamily may exhibit climbing tendencies, this species is fundamentally defined by its sturdy, woody structure rather than acting as a liana, vine, or self-supporting climber. It does not exhibit the characteristics of a herb, shrub, or subshrub, nor does it function as an obligatory or facultative climber; instead, its developmental pattern is consistent with a permanent, woody tree habit.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Illicium anisatum is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy among many woody perennial angiosperms. In this process, carbon dioxide is fixed directly into a three-carbon compound, such as 3-phosphoglycerate, via the enzyme RuBisCO during the Calvin cycle. This C3 pathway dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and its environmental adaptations, as it relies on keeping stomata open for gas exchange, which subsequently leads to transpirational water loss. The metabolic processes of the plant are also heavily influenced by its secondary metabolism, specifically the biosynthesis of various bioactive anisatin-type diterpenoids and essential oils, which are synthesized through complex enzymatic pathways to serve defensive physiological functions.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Illicium anisatum is centered on the production of seeds that exhibit a notable range of physical dimensions. The seed mass within the species displays significant variability, characterized by a mean mass of 0.03724 g. This variation is further detailed by a minimum seed mass of 0.01237 g and a maximum seed mass of 0.06211 g, reflecting a diverse distribution of reproductive output.

Seed mass max:

0.06211 g

Seed mass mean:

0.03724 g

Seed mass min:

0.01237 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Illicium anisatum has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anisatin, shikimic acid.

Anisatin

1. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

shikimic acid

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Activities

Illicium anisatum has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Toxic.

Toxic

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Preparations

Illicium anisatum has 2 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include ethanol extracts, ethanolic extracts.

Ethanol extracts

1. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

Ethanolic extracts

1. Planta medica