Large shrub. Leaves elliptic to obovate, mostly 7-15 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, tapered to the base, tip blunt. Flowers axillary, stalked, solitary or 2-3 in the leaf axils; summer. Perianth segments 13-15, yellow, forming a cup. Stamens 5-7, fleshy. Carpels 11-14.

SE North America (Florida)

Two other species have cup-like inner segments: I. henryi from W China which is rarely cultivated in SE Australia but may be seen at 'Pirianda' in the Melbourne Dandenongs and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in Melbourne; and I. verum, Star Anise or Chinese Anise from SE China and Vietnam which has yellow flowers, 5-9 carpels and inner perianth segments more or less round on a cup; it is used in the production of liqueurs, medicines and aromatic oils, and the shiny brown star-shaped fruit is used as a condiment or in pot-pourri. However, it is rarely offered in Australia.

Flowers small, mostly less than 1.5 cm wide, yellowish green.

Source: Spencer, R. (1997). Illiciaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.