Illicium parviflorum

Illicium parviflorum, commonly known as yellow anisetree,[2] yellow-anise, swamp star-anise,[3] and small anise tree,[4] is a species of flowering plant in the family Schisandraceae, or alternately, the Illiciaceae. It is native to Florida in the United States. It historically occurred in Georgia as well, but it has been extirpated from the state.[2]

Illicium parviflorum

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Austrobaileyales
Family: Schisandraceae
Genus: Illicium
Species:
I. parviflorum
Binomial name
Illicium parviflorum
Natural range

Description

This is an evergreen shrub or tree growing up to 7 meters tall, sometimes with several trunks. The wood, foliage, and flowers are fragrant, with a scent similar to licorice. The alternately arranged leaves have leathery, oval blades up to 15 centimeters long. They are dark, shiny green on top with paler, glandular undersides.[2] The flowers are roughly a centimeter wide and have 11 to 14 yellow-green tepals and several stamens and pistils.[3] The fruit is a star-shaped aggregate of up to 13 follicles, each of which releases one shiny brown seed upon dehiscence.[2][3] It is hardy in the US in zones 6-9.[5]

Ecology

The plant grows in moist soils in several types of habitat, such as floodplains and hammocks, and near swamps and waterways. Associates include Atlantic white cypress (Chamaecyparis thyoides), Florida hobblebush (Agarista populifolia), common palmetto (Sabal palmetto), bush palmetto (Sabal minor), needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), and swampbay (Persea palustris).[2]

Conservation

The plant is currently known from fewer than 20 occurrences in Central Florida, within Polk, Marion, Lake, Volusia, and Seminole Counties.[2] It is mainly threatened by the loss of its habitat, particularly changes in local hydrology, but it is also sometimes wild-harvested for use in cultivation.[2]

Uses

This plant is cultivated as a fragrant and attractive if not very showy ornamental, and can be pruned and shaped to form hedges and windbreaks. It can become very dense as roots continue to send up new shoots, and branches can root where they come in contact with the soil. It is considered easy to grow and does not have many pest problems.[6] It can sprawl up to 4.5 meters wide if not maintained. If the lower branches are removed it can be sculpted into a tree shape. It is commercially available and inexpensive.[7]

The plant is poisonous and cannot be used as a spice like its congener, star anise.[7]

Etymology

Illicium is derived from Latin and means 'seductive'. The name is in reference to the plant's fragrance.[8]

Parviflorus means 'small-flowered'.[9]

References
  1. "Illicium parviflorum". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  2. "Illicium parviflorum Yellow Anisetree". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). "Illicium parviflorum". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 October 2023 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. "Illicium parviflorum". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 8 October 2023. Illicium parviflorum, commonly called yellow anise tree or small anise tree, ...
  5. "Illicium parviflorum". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolkit. NC Cooperative Extension. Retrieved 8 October 2023. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  6. Gilman, Edward F (10 August 2015). "Illicium parviflorum Anise". askIFAS. University of Florida. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  7. "Illicium parviflorum". Floridata. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  8. Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants (4 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3. Retrieved 8 October 2023. Illicium Seductive, illicio, illicere, illexi, illectum (the fragrance) (Illiciaceae)
  9. Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants (4 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3. Retrieved 8 October 2023. parviflorus -a -um small-flowered, parvus-florum
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.