chinese-anise

noun

1. star anise.

noun

1. Also called Chinese anise. a shrub or small tree, Illicium verum, of China, having white flowers that turn purple and bearing anise-scented, star-shaped clusters of carminative fruit.
2. the fruit of this tree or shrub, used as a spice.

noun

1. a small Chinese evergreen tree (Illicium verum) yielding an aromatic oil
2. a spice produced from the star-shaped dried seed pods of this tree