STAR ANISE

Botanical Name

Illicium verum

 

Star anise comes by its name honestly, with its star shape and a licorice taste similar to regular anise, only stronger. It is about one inch high with eight segments and a dark brown rust color. Star anise (Illicium verum Hook) grows as dark brown pods with eight segments, each containing a pea-sized seed. 
Star anise is the dried, star shaped fruit of Illicium verum. It is an evergreen tree attaining a height of 8-15 meters and a diameter of 25 cm. The leaves are entire, 10-15 cm long, 2.5 – 5 cm broad, elliptic, flowers are solitary, white to red in colour. Fruits are star shaped, reddish brown consisting of 6-8 carpels arranged in a whorl. Each carpel is 10 mm long, boat shaped, hard and wrinkled containing a seed. Seeds are brown, compressed, ovoid, smooth, shiny and brittle.