Illicium anisatum; Japanese anise tree

Japanese: シキミ(樒) - シキミ（英語表記）Illicium anisatum; japanese anise tree

An evergreen tall tree of the Illicaceae family. It is found in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu west of the Kanto region, as well as Taiwan and mainland China, and is often planted in temples and cemeteries. The trunk stands upright at a height of about 3 to 5 meters. The leaves are leathery, obovate-lanceolate, and fragrant when bruised, and are used as an ingredient in incense powder. In spring, yellowish-white flowers about 3 cm in diameter grow in the axils of the twigs. The sepals and petals are almost identical in shape, totaling 12, and contain many stamens. There are about 10 pistils arranged radially, and they fuse together to form star-shaped fruits. The seeds are yellow and shiny. It is one of the poisonous plants, and the leaves, bark, and especially the fruits are highly poisonous.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

シキミ科の常緑高木。関東地方以西の本州，四国，九州から台湾や中国大陸に分布し，寺院や墓地などによく栽植されている。幹は高さ3～5mくらいで直立する。葉は倒卵状披針形の革質で，傷つけると香気があり抹香の原料にされる。春に，小枝の葉腋に径 3cmほどの黄白色の花をつける。萼片と花弁はほぼ同形で合せて 12枚あり，中に多数のおしべがある。めしべは 10本前後で放射状に並び，互いに癒着して星形の果実をつくる。種子は黄色で光沢がある。有毒植物の一つで，葉，樹皮，特に果実に強い毒性がある。

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