| Illicium verum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illicium verum at the United States National Arboretum | |
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| 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 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Illicium verum (star anise or badian, Chinese star anise, star anise seed, star aniseed and star of anise) is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to South China and northeast Vietnam. Its star-shaped pericarps harvested just before ripening is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor. Its primary production country is China, followed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.[2] Star anise oil is a highly fragrant oil used in cooking, perfumery, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and skin creams. Until 2012, when they switched to using genetically modified E. coli, Roche Pharmaceuticals used up to 90% of the world's annual star anise crop to produce oseltamivir (Tamiflu) via shikimic acid.[3]
- ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Zou, Qiyuan; Huang, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Wenyan; Lu, Chen; Yuan, Jingquan (1 November 2023). "A Comprehensive Review of the Pharmacology, Chemistry, Traditional Uses and Quality Control of Star Anise (Illicium verum Hook. F.): An Aromatic Medicinal Plant". Molecules. 28 (21): 7378. doi:10.3390/molecules28217378. ISSN 1420-3049. PMC 10648513. PMID 37959797.
- ^ Schönholzer, Fabio (15 March 2018). "Dried Stars". UZH News. Zürich: University of Zurich. Retrieved 21 February 2021.