One of the most interesting looking spices, Star Anise, Illicium verum, is also called anise star, Chinese anise, and star aniseed. They mostly have eight points, and the Cantonese name for this spice “baht gokh” translates to mean “eight points.” These points may also be referred to as arms, carpals, or petals. Those with eight or more arms are considered to be good luck, but they can have anywhere from 5 to 12 arms, just depending on genetics.