Averrhoa bilimbi
Cucumber Tree ( Averrhoa bilimbi )
The Cucumber Tree ( Averrhoa bilimbi ), also called Bilimbi, in addition to the star fruit is one of two species of the genus of the cucumber tree ( Averrhoa ). They belong to the family of sorrel plants ( Oxalidaceae ) and come from Southeast Asia, but are grown in the tropics and subtropics worldwide.
Description
Vegetative characteristics
The cucumber tree can reach heights of growth of up to 15 meters and trunk diameter of 30 centimeters. Twigs and branches grow upwards. The leaves are in tufts at the tips of the branches. These branches have a thickness of about 7 mm and are hairy with a dense, brownish or yellowish fluff.
The compound, pinnate leaves are a total of up to 65 mm long. The petioles are 4-13 (17 ) cm long, about 2.5 mm thick, are densely pubescent and widened at the base. Per sheet are 14 to 40 leaflets alternate or nearly opposite, the leaf blades of the leaflets are 2.5 to 8 ( 15) cm long and 1.2 to 3 ( 5) inches wide. They are oblong, ovate -oblong and asymmetrically shaped, pointed at the tip and to cut rounded at the base. Both top and bottom are hairy feinfilzig. Stipules are minute or absent.
Inflorescences and flowers
As for compound inflorescences are cymes in the leaf axils or kauliflor ( stammblütig ) on the trunk and branches. They consist of 15 to 20 petals and are hairy and glandular feinfilzig. The bracts are 4 mm long, the bracteoles pfriemförmigen have a length of 1.5 to 2 mm. The pedicels are 4-20 mm long and divided clearly near the center.
The small flowers are hermaphroditic, radial symmetry and fünfzählig. The five sepals are fused at the base, 1.5 to 2.5 mm long, 1.5 to 3 mm wide, ovate to elliptic, only an inner sepal elongated. There are glandular trichomes and applied on both sides. The reddish violet, free petals are 10-20 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, narrowly spatulate and fall off early.
There are two circles, each with five fertile stamens present, the one in the outer circle with shorter (4 mm) and the other in the inner circle with long (10 mm) stamens. The stamp is 7.5 to 12 mm and the ovary 4 to 7.5 mm long.
Fruits
The fruits are fleshy berries are about 5 to 10 cm long and have a diameter of 3.5 cm, the surface is smooth or grooved along fivefold, in cross-section they are round to pentagonal. The fruits are more acidic than that of star fruit ( Averrhoa carambola ), they lack the striking edges.
Use
Since the fruits are usually too acidic, they are rarely eaten raw, only from Costa Rica is known that the green, raw fruits are served as an accompaniment to rice and beans, and occasionally fish and meat. In the Far East, the fruit is often used for curries and chutneys, made from the juice drinks are made. Small Sliced fruits are served in Indonesia, together with other vegetables and fish as Pepesan (fish in banana leaf ).