Averrhoa bilimbi

Averrhoa bilimbi

Family: Oxalidaceae

Common name: Bilimbi

The bilimbi tree is an attractive, long-lived plant with a short trunk that soon divides into several upright branches. The leaves, mostly clustered at the branch tips, are alternate, imparipinnate, and typically ovate or oblong in shape. The tree produces small, fragrant, five-petalled flowers that are yellowish-green or purplish, marked with dark purple. These flowers are borne in small, hairy panicles that emerge directly from the trunk.

The fruit is ellipsoid, obovoid, or nearly cylindrical, faintly five-sided, capped by a thin, star-shaped calyx at the stem-end, and tipped with five hair-like remnants of the flower at the apex. When unripe, the fruit is crisp, turning from bright green to yellowish-green, ivory, or nearly white as it ripens, eventually falling to the ground. The outer skin is glossy, thin, soft, and tender, while the flesh is green, jelly-like, juicy, and extremely acidic. The seeds are flattened, disc-like, smooth, and brown.

In traditional medicine, the leaves, flowers, and fruit of the bilimbi plant are used to treat various conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, liver failure, and as antibacterial agents and biopesticides. The fruit can be eaten fresh, pickled, or cooked.