What is Star Anise

What is Star anise?
It is a spice.
It is used to give flavour to curries.
It is used in some perfumes.
It is used in to flavour soft drinks.

Has it any medicinal properties?
Yes. It is diuretic(meaning:helps get rid of unneeded water and salt through urine), stomachic(meaning: stimulates digestion),carminative(meaning:prevents formation of gas or helps expel gas) and antibacterial.
Useful for flatulence(meaning:same as carminative) and spasmodic(meaning: fits or involuntary movement of muscles).

Is Star anise a fruit?
Yes. It is a dried, star shaped fruit.
The fruit is star shaped and hence its name. it has brown seeds.

Star anise: flower and fruit how it looks 

In this world, where it grows?

It grows in  China and Vietnam. In India, it is produced to a small extent in Arunachal Pradesh.
Other countries very much tried to develop but not succeeded.

How star anise is called in different languages?

Tamil : Anashuppu
Telugu : Anaspuvu
Urdu :         Badyani
Hindi : Anasphal
Malayalam: Takkolam
Marathi : Badian
Oriya : Anasphul
French : Anis de la chine
German : Sternanis
Indonesia : Bunga lawang
Italian : Anice stellato
Nepali : Star phul
Russian : Badyan
Spanish : Badian
Chinese : Ba jiao
Czech : Badyan
Dutch : Steranijs
Botanical Name : Illicium verum
Family Name:Illiciaceae