Illicium verum (star anise orbadian,Chinese star anise,star anise seed,star aniseed andstar of anise) is a medium-sizedevergreen tree native toSouth China and northeastVietnam. Its star-shapedpericarps harvested just before ripening are aspice that closely resemblesanise in flavor. Its primary production country is China, followed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.^[2] Star anise oil is highly fragrant, used in cooking, perfumery, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and skin creams. Until 2012, when they switched to usinggenetically modifiedE. coli,Roche Pharmaceuticals used up to 90% of the world's annual star anise crop to produceoseltamivir (Tamiflu) viashikimic acid.^[3]

Illicium verum
Illicium verum at theUnited States National Arboretum
Star anise fruits and seeds
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Order:	Austrobaileyales
Family:	Schisandraceae
Genus:	Illicium
Species:	I. verum
Binomial name
Illicium verum Hook.f.
Synonyms[1]
Illicium san-kiPerr.

Illicium comes from theLatinillicio meaning "entice" or "seduce".^[4]

Verum means "true" or "genuine".^[4]

The name "badian" appears to derive, via Frenchbadiane, from the apparently descriptiveChinese name for it,八角,pinyin:bājiǎo, lit. "eight horns". However, a derivation from thePersianبادیانbādiyān, "fennel", exists, with theOxford English Dictionary indicating that its origin before that is unknown.^[5]

Leaves are aromatic, simple and lanceolate, obovate-elliptic or elliptic, size of 5–15 cm × 2–5 cm, coriaceous to thickly coriaceous.^[6] The leaves are 5–15 cm × 1.5–5 cm, apex acute, lower side pubescent.^[6] Flowers are solitary, bisexual, pink to dark red, axillary or subterminal.^[6] The perianth has lobes 7–12, arranged spirally; stamens number of 11–20, arranged spirally, with short, thick filaments; carpels usually 8, free, arranged in a single whorl. Flower peduncle size is 1.5–4 cm, tepals number range from seven to twelve, and are broadly elliptic to broadly ovate, anthers size is 1–1.5 mm, pollen grains trisyncolpate.^[6][7]

The fruit is a capsule-like follicetum, star-shaped, reddish-brown, consisting of six to eight follicles arranged in a whorl.^[6] Each follicle is boat-shaped, 1–2 cm long, rough and rigid, color reddish-brown, with 1 seed, opening along the ventral edge when ripe.^[6] carpels size of 10 mm long, boat-shaped; they are hard and wrinkled, containing one seed. Seeds are brown, compressed ovoid, smooth, shiny and brittle with approximate size of 8–9 mm × 6 mm.^[6][7]

Differences with similar taxa:Illicium anisatum had smaller fruits that does not form a regular star due to the abortion of some carpels. Also fruit follicles are not swollen in the middle and had a more pointed apex. Also usually had more than 8 follicles and the fruit has weaker odour. The seeds inIllicium anisatum are flat or almost spherical.^[6][7]

Star anise containsanethole, the same compound that givesanise, an unrelated plant, its flavor. Star anise has come into use in theWest as a less expensive substitute for anise in baking, as well as inliquor production, most distinctively in the production of theliqueurGalliano.^[8] Star anise enhances the flavor of meat.^[9]

It is used as a spice in preparation ofbiryani andmasala chai in some parts of theIndian subcontinent. It is widely used inChinese cuisine, and inMalay andIndonesian cuisines. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. Star anise is an ingredient of the traditionalfive-spice powder of Chinese cooking. It is also a major ingredient in the making ofphở, aVietnamese noodle soup.

It is also used in the French recipe of mulled wine,vin chaud (hot wine). If allowed to steep in coffee, it deepens and enriches the flavor. The pods can be used in this manner multiple times by the potful or cup, as the ease of extraction of the taste components increases with the permeation of hot water.

Star anise is the major source of the chemical compoundshikimic acid, a primaryprecursor in thepharmaceutical synthesis of the anti-influenza drugoseltamivir (Tamiflu).^[10][11][12] An industrial method for the production of shikimic acid usingfermentation ofE. coli bacteria was discovered in 2005,^[13][14] and applied in the2009 swine flu pandemic to address Tamiflu shortages, eventually reversing price increases for star anise as araw material of shikimic acid.^[15] As of 2018, fermentation ofE. coli was the manufacturing process of choice to produce shikimic acid for synthesis of Tamiflu.^[10][11]

Illicium verum is not toxic. However, other related species are toxic.

Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is highly toxic and inedible; in Japan, it has instead been burned asincense. Cases of illness, including "seriousneurological effects, such as seizures", reported after using star anise tea may be a result of deliberateeconomically motivated adulteration with this species. Japanese star anise contains theneurotoxinanisatin,^[16] which also causes severeinflammation of thekidneys (nephritis),urinary tract, anddigestive organs when ingested.^[17]

Swamp star aniseIllicium parviflorum, a similar tree found in the southern United States, is highly toxic and should not be used for folk remedies or as a cooking ingredient.^[18]

• ISO 676:1995 – contains the information about the nomenclature of the variety and cultivars^[19]

• Refer to the 4th edition of theEuropean Pharmacopoeia (1153)

Joshiet al. have usedfluorescent microscopy andgas chromatography^[20] to distinguish the species, while Ledereret al. employedthin layer chromatography withHPLC-MS/MS.^[21]

• ISO 11178:1995 – a specification for its dried fruits^[22]