Family: Schisandraceae
Illicium anisatum (Japanese star-anise, aniseed tree) is an evergreen shrub native to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. In Japan, the leaves of this plant are dried, powdered and turned into incense. This plant is highly toxic and poisonous to both humans and animals. For this reason it has been used to poison fish, as an agricultural pesticide, and to keep animals out of graveyards in Japan. The leaves are also considered to be highly sacred to Buddhists. It is reported to be naturalized in New Zealand but is not documented to be naturalized on any Hawaiian Islands to date. Although where naturalized no negative impacts have been reported: this plant is of concern due to its extreme toxicity, which in humans can cause seizures, hallucinations, and nausea.
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m in temperate regions, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Naturalized in New Zealand
- Unpalatable to deer and probably other browsing animals
- Toxic to animals and people
- Tolerates many soil types
- Reproduces by seeds
- Seeds dispersed ballistically, by seed-caching birds and rodents, and intentionally cultivated by people
Low Risk Traits:
- Despite naturalization, no reports of negative impacts where introduced
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Not reported to spread vegetatively
- Dispersers present in native range are absent in the Hawaiian Islands, possibly limiting long-distance spread
