Illicium floridanum

Illicium floridanum (also known as purple anise, Florida anise, stink-bush, or star-anise) is an evergreen shrub native to the south-eastern United states especially Florida and Louisiana.

It is a close relative of the Chinese star anise but it is not edible.

The flowers are a very distinctive deep carmine red or maroon with narrow widely separated petals. The whole plant and especially the flowers have a distinctive fishy smell although the crushed foliage smells more like aniseed.