Previous plants of the week - The red star anise
The red star anise - Illicium floridanum J. ELLIS
Where the giant water lily Victoria amazonica (POEPP.) KLOTZSCH will move in in May, the potted plants are currently waiting for spring. Some are now flowering in their winter quarters, including the red star anise Illicium floridanum.
This evergreen shrub, which grows up to 4 m tall, is also known as the American star anise: It is native to north-eastern Mexico and the coastal plains from Louisiana to Florida. There it grows on riverbanks, in swamps and damp forests. Its aromatic leaves and twigs contain essential oils and characteristic ingredients derived from sesquiterpenes, among other things. This chemical cocktail keeps the plants free from pests.
The flowers, up to 5 cm in size, have between 21 and 33 lanceolate, deep dark red petals. A large number of small insects, especially flies and midges, use the small amounts of nectar produced as a food source and transfer pollen grains in the process. Since the action radius of these animals is very limited, but only the pollen of a second plant (foreign pollen) leads to seed formation, the fruit set is usually low. If fertilization is successful, star-shaped aggregate fruits are formed, which burst open when ripe and eject the pale brown seeds. In addition to sexual reproduction, the plant reproduces via root shoots.
The best known of the 40 star anise species is probably Illicium verum HOOK. f.: Originating from south-east China, the true star anise is highly prized in the local cuisine. The well-known "five-spice mixture" consists of its fruit, cloves, cassia cinnamon, fennel seeds and Szechuan pepper. In this country, real star anise is used to flavor baked goods, plum jam, liqueur and mulled wine as well as a flavoring in perfumery. It is not part of the Botanical Garden's plant collection. Instead, visitors will find another Chinese species of the genus among the potted plants: Illicium henryi DIELS. Its buds will soon open into approximately 2 cm large, cupped, pale red, hanging flowers.
(KW 11/25)
Around 10,000 plant species grow in the Botanical Garden at TU Dresden. On this page, we regularly present an example of this diversity in more detail. The special features of our scientific plant collection can be seen in many different ways: in amazing adaptations, strange names, interesting uses or even in the extraordinary splendor of their flowers.
You can view previous Plant of the Week articles in the archive.