Illicium majus
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Illicium majus is a species of flowering plant in the family Schisandraceae. It is a tree with subleathery leaves and poisonous fruits. The species is native to China, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
| Illicium majus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Order: | Austrobaileyales |
| Family: | Schisandraceae |
| Genus: | Illicium |
| Species: | I. majus |
| Binomial name | |
| Illicium majus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Illicium majus was described in 1872, and is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Taxonomy
Illicium majus was described by Joseph Dalton Hooker and Thomas Thomson in 1872.[3]
Distribution
Illicium majus is native to the subtropical biome of Vietnam, southern Myanmar, and south-east and south-central China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, and Yunnan).[2][4] It has an estimated extent of occurrence of 1,325,389.57 square kilometres (511,735.77 sq mi).[1]
The species grows in mixed forests, thickets, on rocky slopes, and along riverbanks, at elevations of 300–2,500 metres (980–8,200 ft).[4]
Description
Illicium majus is a tree up to 20 metres (66 ft) tall. The bark is poisonous. The leaves are in clusters of three to six, subleathery, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10–20 centimetres (3.9–7.9 in) long, and 2.5–7 centimetres (0.98–2.76 in) wide. The leaf stems are 1–2.5 centimetres (0.39–0.98 in) long.[4]
The flower stems are 1.8–4.5 centimetres (0.71–1.77 in) long. The flowers have fifteen to twenty-one fleshy tepals. The inner tepals are elliptic to obovate-oblong, 6–15 millimetres (0.24–0.59 in) long, and 3–9 millimetres (0.12–0.35 in) wide. The flowers have twelve to twenty-one stamens, and eleven to fourteen carpels. The plant flowers from April to June.[4]
The fruits have 1.8–4.5 centimetres (0.71–1.77 in) stems. The plant fruits from July to October. The fruit is poisonous.[4]
Conservation
In 2018, the IUCN assessed Illicium majus as of Least Concern. The species has a large population, wide distribution, and faces no significant threats.[1]
Nomenclature
In Chinese, the species is known as 大八角 (da ba jiao).[5]
