Star anise

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chinese star-anise
• star-anise
• Star Anise

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Illicium stellatum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Illicium verum, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae within the order Austrobaileyales. Finally, it is a member of the family Schisandraceae and is categorized under the genus Illicium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Illicium verum, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across East and Southeast Asia. Within China, it is primarily found in the South-Central and Southeast regions. Its natural range also extends into the Indo-China peninsula. Specifically, the species is documented to grow within the borders of Cambodia. Furthermore, it is widely distributed throughout Vietnam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Illicium verum is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, meaning it maintains its presence in the ecosystem over many years rather than completing a single reproductive cycle in one season. Throughout its existence, it maintains a consistent vegetative structure as an evergreen species, retaining its foliage year-round and providing continuous canopy cover. This combination of a long-lived life cycle and permanent foliage allows the plant to establish a stable presence in its natural habitat, gradually developing into a woody shrub or small tree that persists through various seasonal shifts.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Illicium verum is characterized by its stature as a woody tree, reaching an average plant height of approximately 15 m. As a self-supporting organism, it does not function as a climber or a liana, maintaining a stable, upright growth form. It is an independent species that does not exhibit parasitic behavior, and it is strictly terrestrial rather than aquatic or epiphytic in its natural habitat. The plant's structural integrity is defined by its woody composition, which supports its development into a substantial tree.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Illicium verum is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common mechanism in woody perennial shrubs and trees where carbon fixation occurs via the Calvin cycle during the light-independent reactions. This metabolic process involves the initial fixation of CO2 by the enzyme RuBisCO, which is typical for plants inhabiting temperate to subtropical environments where moisture and light availability allow for efficient gas exchange through stomata. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria, such as Rhizobium, required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system to satisfy its nutritional requirements for protein and chlorophyll synthesis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Illicium verum is facilitated through the production of specialized fruit structures that house its seeds. The seeds produced by this species exhibit significant variability in size and weight, which is a critical aspect of its dispersal mechanism. Specifically, the seed mass is characterized by a wide range, with a minimum recorded value of 0.00812 g and a maximum value reaching as high as 0.0871 g. On average, the seed mass maintains a mean value of 0.04761 g, reflecting the inherent diversity in the energetic investment per seed within the population.

Seed mass max:

0.0871 g

Seed mass mean:

0.04761 g

Seed mass min:

0.00812 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Illicium verum has 2 reported plant parts identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, stem.

Fruit

1. Metabolites
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
4. Chemistry Central journal
5. Veterinary parasitology

Stem

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Chemicals

Illicium verum has 102 reported phytochemicals identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include shikimic acid, ANETHOLE, trans-Anethole, D-Limonene, Flavonoids.

shikimic acid

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Chemistry Central journal
3. International journal of biological macromolecules
4. Phytotherapy research : PTR
5. Analytical methods : advancing methods and applications

ANETHOLE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Insects
3. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
4. International journal of biological macromolecules
5. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

trans-Anethole

1. Dr. Duke
2. Science progress
3. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
4. Journal of fish diseases

D-Limonene

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Chemistry Central journal
2. International journal of biological macromolecules
3. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

quercetin

1. Frontiers in microbiology
2. Fish & shellfish immunology
3. Journal of fish diseases

1,8-Cineole

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anisatin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

BETA-SITOSTEROL

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

CAMPHENE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Illicium verum has 345 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Antiviral, Anthelmintic, Anticancer.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of dietary supplements
3. International journal of biological macromolecules

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of dietary supplements
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of biological macromolecules

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology

Antifungal

1. Journal of dietary supplements
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antinociceptive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Expectorant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Gastroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Conditions

Illicium verum has 8 reported investigations on conditions identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Rheumatoid Arthritis, avian influenza, bacterial infection, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders.

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. Metabolites

Avian influenza

1. Chinese medicine

Bacterial infection

1. International journal of biological macromolecules

Diarrhea

1. Gaceta medica de Mexico

Gastrointestinal disorders

1. Gaceta medica de Mexico

Infectious disease

1. Journal of dietary supplements

Lipid peroxidation

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

Lung cancer

1. International journal of biological macromolecules

Preparations

Illicium verum has 10 reported preparations identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include essential oil, IVEO, SJYB extraction, ethanol extracts, extracts.

Essential oil

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Iveo

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Sjyb extraction

1. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Ethanol extracts

1. Experimental & applied acarology

Extracts

1. Metabolites

Fruit

1. Veterinary parasitology

Fruits

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Methanol extract

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Quercetin

1. Fish & shellfish immunology

Stem

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR