Vasilis Teodoridis:
Illiciaceae | Illicium
14. Illicium ternstroemioides A. C. Smith; Sargentia. 7: 58. 1947.
????? hou pi xiang ba jiao
Trees to 12 m tall. Perules small; inconspicuous. Leaves in clusters of 3-5 at distal nodes; petiole 0.7-2 cm; leaf blade oblong-elliptic; oblanceolate; or narrowly obovate; 7-13 x 2-5 cm; leathery; midvein adaxially slightly impressed; secondary veins 6-9 on each side of midvein and inconspicuous; base broadly cuneate; apex acuminate to long acuminate. Flowers axillary or subterminal. Flower peduncle 0.7-3 cm. Tepals 10-14; red; broadly elliptic to suborbicular (largest); 7-12 x 7-12 mm (largest); papery to slightly fleshy. Stamens 22-30; 1.8-3.4 mm; filament lengths unknown; connectives truncate to slightly emarginate; anthers 0.7-1 mm; pollen grains trisyncolpate. Carpels 12-14; 2.5-4 mm; ovary 1.3-2.5 mm; style 1.1-2 mm. Fruit peduncle 2.5-4.5 cm. Fruit with 12-14 follicles; follicles 13-20 x 6-9 x 3-5 mm. Seeds 6-7 x 4-4.5 x 2-3 mm. Fl. Jan-Aug; fr. Apr-Nov. 2n = 28*.
? Forests; ravines; along rivers; 800-1700 m. Fujian; Hainan.
The fruit are poisonous.