Star anise

Star anise
Star anise fruits (Illicium verum)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
Order:	Austrobaileyales
Family:	Schisandraceae
Genus:	Illicium
Binomial name
Illicium verum

Star anise (Illicium verum) is a spice plant which tastes like anise. The star shaped fruits are harvested before they start ripening.

Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is not edible because it is "highly toxic"; instead, it may be burned as incense in Japan.