star anise 
noun [mass noun]
1A small star-shaped fruit with one seed in each arm. It has an aniseed flavour and is used unripe in Asian cooking.Add the carrot juice, gingerroot, star anise, lemon and orange zest, and chile powder....
- Place the huckleberries, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and cardamom seeds in a medium bowl.
- Bring the caster sugar and 500 ml of water to the boil in a medium saucepan, then add the lemon juice, stem ginger, star anise and the vanilla pod.
2The small Chinese evergreen tree from which star anise is obtained.
- Illicium verum, family Illiciaceae.
- In the meantime, there is no short-term supply relief in sight, because star anise trees take years to mature.