Illicium verum, commonly called Star anise, star aniseed, or Chinese star anise, is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of northeast Vietnam and southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening.

The fruit of Illiciumverum Hook. f. (Chinese star anise) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and food industry with the actions of dispelling cold, regulating the flow of Qi and relieving pain.It is a well known spice in traditional Indian system for its therapeutic potential. The present study was aimed to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory (BChE) activity of standardized extracts of I. verum and its oil. Star anise has been used in a tea as a remedy for rheumatism, and the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to aid digestion.