Illicium burmanicum

Illicium burmanicum is a species of flowering plant in the family Schisandraceae. It is native to wet forests in Myanmar and China.

Illicium burmanicum
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Embryophytes
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Spermatophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Order:	Austrobaileyales
Family:	Schisandraceae
Genus:	Illicium
Species:	I. burmanicum
Binomial name
Illicium burmanicum E.H.Wilson

Illicium burmanicum is a shrub or tree, with papery leaves, and white to purple tepals. The species was described in 1926. The IUCN lists it as of least loncern, though it may be affected by habitat loss.

Taxonomy

The species was described by Ernest Henry Wilson in 1926.

Distribution

Illicium burmanicum is native to the wet tropical biome of Myanmar and to west Yunnan, China. It is found in wet forests, at elevations of 2,300–2,700 metres (7,500–8,900 ft).

Its extent of occurrence is around 104,857 square kilometres (40,486 sq mi).

Description

Illicium burmanicum is a tree or shrub, that grows up to 12 metres (39 ft) tall.

The leaves are in clusters of four to ten. The leaves are papery in texture, and oblong-lanceolate, obovate-oblong, or lanceolate in shape. The leaves are 7–12 centimetres (2.8–4.7 in) long, and 2.5–4 centimetres (0.98–1.57 in) wide.

The flowers have twenty to twenty-seven tepals, which are white to purple in colour. The outer and inner tepals are oblong-elliptic to elliptic. The largest tepals are oblong-obovate and papery. The flowers have twenty to twenty-four stamens, and eight to twelve carpels. The flowers grow on 3–10 millimetres (0.12–0.39 in) stems.

Illicium burmanicum flowers from April to November, and fruits in August.

Conservation

In 2022, the IUCN assessed Illicium burmanicum as a species of least concern, although it is threatened by deforestation and habitat loss. Some subpopulations are threatend by urban development. The species is not known to be present in any protected areas.