The appearance is different: octagonal has eight petals, and Miscanthus has ten to thirteen petals. Illicium verum L. has thick skin and long stems, and is mostly curved, with thick skin and strong fragrance. Mangosteen stems are short, mostly straight or slightly curved. The peel is thin, slightly bitter, and the top is mostly pointed beak-shaped. Looking at the fruit petals from the outer sheet, you can clearly distinguish them at a glance.

Secondly, we can also look at their colors. True Illicium verum is often dark in color, generally brownish red, while false Illicium verum is relatively light in color and khaki in color.

Third, you can see the taste of true and false star anise. Let's smell the real octagonal carefully. It tastes delicious and won't feel bitter. Fake star anise is different. After trying, it is a kind of numbness.