Limonia acidissima

Indian Holzapfel

Called limonia acidissima also Indian wood apple or elephant apple, is the only species of monotypic genus Limonia within the rue family ( Rutaceae ). It is in the dry plains on the Indian subcontinent: widespread Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and in the western Himalayas and Southeast Asia as far as Java. The fruits are used as vegetables.

Description

Appearance and leaf

Limonia acidissima grows as a deciduous, small tree, reaching the heights of growth of about 9 meters. The bark is thick and hard.

The alternate and spirally arranged on the branches leaves are divided into short petiole and leaf blade. Petiole and Blattrhachis are narrow winged. The 7.5 to 12.5 cm long, dark green, leathery leaf blade is pinnate and the five or seven leaflets are arranged alternately along the Blattrhachis. The leaflets are obovate with smooth or slightly notched edge and rounded end having a notch at a length of 25 to 35 mm and a width of 10 to 20 mm. The leaves are dotted with glandular and smell slightly of lemon when crushed. The axils are bedornt about 15 mm long.

Inflorescence and flower

The flowering period extends into Pakistan from March to May There is polygamy, but the flowers are usually hermaphrodite. The flowers are in terminal or pendent, loose, paniculate inflorescences.

The fragrant flowers are radial symmetry and usually five, rarely four or sechszählig double perianth, with a diameter of about 1.25 cm. The sepals are ovate. The dull red petals are spread, oblong to narrowly obovate or elliptic. Two groups of five or six stamens present. The pfriemlichen stamens are hairy at their base. The seated scar is spindle-shaped.

Fruit and seeds

The berries are at a diameter of 5 to 12,5 cm round to oval with a hard, woody, grayish - white, about 6 mm thick, scabby skin. The fragrant, astringent, sour or sweet fruit pulp is brown and mealy. Distributed in the fruit pulp contains many small brown seeds that are hairy woolly.

Use

The fruit bowl is opened with a hammer. The fruit pulp is eaten raw with or without sugar. You feed it with coconut milk and palm syrup to a soft drink or ice cream. It is also used in chutneys or jams.

The fruit skin is processed into small containers.

The immature fruits are used in folk medicine in India. The astringent effect is used, for example, against diarrhea and dysentery. Leaves, bark, roots and fruit pulp are used against snake bites.

System

The genus Limonia was erected in 1762 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 2nd edition, p 554. Type species and only species of the genus is Limonia acidissima. A homonym is Limonia Gaertn. published in Joseph Gaertner: De fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum ..., Volume 1, 1788, p 278 A synonym for Limonia L. Feronia Corrêa. Synonyms for Limonia acidissima L. are: Feronia elephantum Corrêa, Feronia limonia (L.) Swingle, Schinus L. limonia.

The genus belongs to the subtribe Limonia Citrinae from the tribe Aurantieae in the subfamily Aurantioideae within the family of Rutaceae.

Trivial names

Trivial names in other languages ​​:

• English: Wood Apple, Elephant Apple, Monkey Fruit, Fruit Curd
• Oriya: Kaintha
• Telugu: Vellaga Pandu
• Tamil: Vilam Palam ( விளாம் பழம் )
• Bengali: Koth Bel ( কৎ বেল )
• Hindi: Kaitha ( कैथा ), Kath Bel
• Sinhala: Divul
• Marathi: KavaTH ( कवठ ).
• Sanskrit: Kapittha ( कपित्थ ) Dadhistha, Surabhicchada, Kapipriya, dadhi, Puṣpapahala, Dantasātha, Phalasugandhika, Cirapākī, Karabhithū, Kant, Gandhapatra, Grāhiphala, Kaṣāyāmlaphala