Illicium

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For the modified first spine anatomical feature of anglerfishes, see illicium (fish anatomy).

anisetree
or star anise
Illicium verum in HDR.jpg
fruits of star anise (Illicium verum)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Austrobaileyales
Family: Schisandraceae
Genus: Illicium
L.
Type species
Illicium anisatum
Illicium floridanum
Illicium henryi
Illicium anisatum in Köhler's Medicinal Plants

Illicium is a genus of flowering plants treated as part of the family Schisandraceae,[1] or alternately as the sole genus of the Illiciaceae.[2] It has a disjunct distribution, with most species native to eastern Asia and several in parts of North America, including the southeastern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean.[3] General common names include star anise[4] and anisetree.[1] The genus name comes from the Latin illicere ("to allure").[4]

Description[]

Illicium species are evergreen shrubs and small trees. The leaves are alternately arranged and borne on petioles. The blades are glandular and fragrant. The flowers are solitary. They have few to many tepals in two or three rows, the inner ones like petals and the outer ones often smaller and more like bracts. A few to many stamens and pistils are at the center. The fruit is an aggregate of follicles arranged in a star-shaped whorl. One seed is in each follicle, released when the follicle dehisces. The seed has a thick, oily endosperm.[5]

Biology[]

These are plants of moist understory, adapted to shady habitat, and some species are so sensitive to light that too much sunlight causes them significant stress, manifesting in chlorosis and necrosis of the leaves.[6]

Uses[]

Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants for their flowers, foliage, and fragrance, leading to the development of several cultivars.[7] Many taxa can only be grown in low-light situations.[6]

The essential oils of several species are used as flavorings and carminatives; however, the oils of I. anisatum and I. floridanum are toxic. I. verum, the common star anise, is used to flavor food and wine. Its fruit is a traditional Chinese medicine called pa-chio-hui-hsiang, which is used to treat abdominal pain and vomiting.[5]

Diversity[]

Illicium is a notably difficult genus to taxonomically classify. Many of the currently recognized species are lack distinguishing characters, and treatments tend to list many synonyms. Additionally, herbarium material is often poorly preserved or scarce.[8]

Species include
[9]
  1. - S China
  2. Illicium anisatum – Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
  3. - Taiwan
  4. - Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Yunnan
  5. - Yunnan, Myanmar
  6. - Cuba
  7. - Guangxi
  8. - S China
  9.  
  10. Illicium floridanum- United States (FL GA AL MS LA)[10]
  11. - Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh
  12. Illicium guajaibonense - Cuba
  13. Illicium henryi - S China
  15. - S China
  16. - S China
  17. - Hong Kong
  18. - Yunnan
  19. - S China, Vietnam, Myanmar
  20. - Yunnan, Myanmar
  21. - Yunnan
  22. - Yunnan
  23. - Guangxi
  24. Illicium parviflorum – yellow anise - United States (FL GA SC)[11]
  26. - Yunnan, Vietnam
  27. - Philippines, Taiwan
  29. - S China, Assam, Myanmar
  32. - Taiwan, Nansei-shoto
  33. Illicium tenuifolium - Vietnam
  34. Illicium ternstroemioides - Fujian, Hainan
  35. - Yunnan
  36. Illicium verum – star anise, Chinese star-anise, staranise tree - Guangxi
  37. - Yunnan, Myanmar

References[]

  1. ^ a b Illicium. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  2. ^ Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz. 1992 onwards. Illiciaceae Van Tiegh. The Families of Flowering Plants. Version: 19 August 2013.
  3. ^ Oh, I. C., et al. (2003). Evolution of Illicium (Illiciaceae): mapping morphological characters on the molecular tree. Plant Systematics and Evolution 240(1-4), 175–209.
  4. ^ a b Illicium. Flora of North America.
  5. ^ a b Illiciaceae. Flora of North America.
  6. ^ a b Griffin, J. J., et al. (2004). Photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and carbohydrate content of Illicium taxa grown under varied irradiance. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 129(1), 46–53.
  7. ^ Ashburn, D. Illicium belongs in Southern gardens. Archived 2013-09-08 at the Wayback Machine Cooperative Extension. North Carolina State University. 2006.
  8. ^ Morris, Ashley B.; Bell, Charles D.; Clayton, Joshua W.; Judd, Walter S.; Soltis, Douglas E.; Soltis, Pamela S. (2007). "Phylogeny and Divergence Time Estimation in Illicium with Implications for New World Biogeography". Systematic Botany. 32 (2): 236–249. doi:10.1600/036364407781179734. S2CID 86383852.
  9. ^ "Illicium L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  10. ^ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map, Illicium floridanum
  11. ^ Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map, Illicium parviflorum

Further reading[]

External links[]

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