Genus: Illicium - Family: Schisandraceae
Phonetic Spelling: il-LISS-ee-um
Origin:Parts of SE Asia, SE US, Central America, and the Caribbean
Alabama, Assam, Borneo, Cambodia, North-Central, South-Central, and Southeast China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Florida, Georgia, Hainan, Haiti, Japan, Korea, Louisiana, Malaya, Central, Gulf, and Northeast Mexico, Mississippi, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Philippines, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
The seed pods of Illicium verum (Chinese Star Anise) can be used for culinary use in teas and as a spice. All other species have toxic characteristics in leaves, stems, and/or seed pods.
