Illicium verum is the plant source of shikimic acid, a precursor used to make the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
Illicium verum is commonly called Chinese star anise. Its dried, star-shaped fruits are used as a spice, but they also contain shikimic acid. The compound is extracted and chemically converted through several steps into oseltamivir phosphate.
The name shikimic acid comes from shikimi, the Japanese name for Japanese star anise, Illicium anisatum. That species helped give the compound its name, but Chinese star anise is the commercially important source associated with Tamiflu production. Japanese star anise is toxic and is not the same culinary spice.
Star anise was once the main industrial source, although manufacturers have also developed fermentation and synthetic methods to reduce reliance on crops. Shikimic acid is not unique to Illicium verum; it occurs in many plants and microorganisms, including sweetgum trees. The quiz answer is therefore correct because it identifies the traditional and well-known source linked to oseltamivir production.