Illicium anisatum, known as Japanese star anise, aniseed tree or sacred anise tree, and called shikimi in Japanese, is an evergreen shrub or small tree closely related to Chinese star anise. It is highly toxic and its fruit is not edible, but its dried and powdered leaves are burned as incense in Japan. Its branches and evergreen leaves are considered sacred by Japanese Buddhists, valued partly because insects avoid them and because they stay fresh after being cut. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Scientific Name Sources
1. Wikipedia: Illicium anisatum
threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)Quote, threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
Due to its poisonous nature, its seeds have been used as a fish poison as well as a natural agricultural pesticide and to repel animals from digging the grounds of Japanese graveyards.
2. Wikipedia: Illicium anisatum
Illicium anisatum (Wikipedia)
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