Illicium

thumb|right|Illicium floridanum thumb|right|Illicium henryi thumb|right|Illicium anisatum in ''[[Köhler's Medicinal Plants]]

Illicium is a genus of flowering plants treated as part of the family Schisandraceae, or alternately as the sole genus of the Illiciaceae. It has a disjunct distribution, with most species native to subtropical and tropical areas of East and Southeast Asia and several in parts of North America, including the southeastern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. General common names include star anise and anisetree. The genus name comes from the Latin illicere ("to allure").