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.
 
Indian name for Star Anise:
Hindi : Anasphal Malayalam : Takkolam Marathi : Badian Oriya : Anasphul Tamil : Anashuppu Telugu : Anaspuvu Urdu : Badyani
Foreign name for Star Anise:
Chinese : Ba jiao Czech : Badyan Dutch : Steranijs French : Anis de la chine German : Sternanis Indonesia : Bunga lawang Italian : Anice stellato Nepali : Star phul Russian : Badyan Spanish : Badian