白花八角 bai hua ba jiao

Illicium anisatum Linnaeus var. leucanthum Hayata; I. arborescens Hayata var. oblongum Hayata; I. daibuense Yamamoto; I. leucanthum (Hayata) Hayata; I. philippinense var. daibuense (Yamamoto) S. S. Ying.

Shrubs or trees, to 8 m tall. Perules oblong, to 5 mm. Leaves in clusters of 3 or 4 at distal nodes; petiole 0.7-1.5 cm; leaf blade lanceolate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 5-10 × 2-4 cm, leathery, midvein adaxially prominent, secondary veins 5-7 on each side of midvein and on both surfaces inconspicuous or slightly prominent, base attenuate, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers axillary or subterminal. Flower peduncle 5-14 mm. Tepals 15-21, white, elliptic to obovate-oblong (outer and inner) to narrowly oblong to tonguelike (largest), 7-12 × 4-7 mm (outer), 11-17 × 3-5 mm (largest), 7-12 × 4-7 mm (inner), thinly papery (outer and inner) to membranous (middle). Stamens 16-23, 2.5-3.5 mm; filaments 1.3-2.5 mm; connectives slightly emarginate to obtuse-cuspidate; anthers 1-1.7 mm; pollen grains tricolpate. Carpels 6-8(-10), 3.5-5 mm; ovary 1.5-2 mm; style 2-3.3 mm. Fruit peduncle sometimes to 2.5 cm. Fruit with 6-8(-10) follicles; follicles 13-16 × 5-7 × 3-4 mm. Seeds 6-6.5 × 3.5-4 × 2.5-3 mm. Fl. Dec-Mar, fr. May-Nov.

Forests; 1000-2400 m. Taiwan [Philippines].