Limonia acidissima
{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Wood-apple tree.JPG
| image_caption = In Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
| genus = Limonia (plant)
| parent_authority = L.
| species = acidissima
| authority = L.
| display_parents = 2
| synonyms =
{{Genus list
|Anisifolium|Rumph. ex Kuntze
|Feronia|Corrêa
|Hesperethusa|M.Roem.
|Winterlia|Dennst.
}}
{{Species list
|Schinus limonia|L.
|Crateva balangas|K.D.Koenig
|Crateva vallanga|J.Koenig ex Wight & Arn.
|Anisifolium curvispina|(Miq.) Kuntze
|Anisifolium limonia|Kuntze
|Anisifolium spectabile|(Miq.) Kuntze
|Feronia balanghas|(K.D.Koenig) Steud.
|Feronia elephantum|Corrêa
|Feronia limonia|(L.) Swingle
|Hesperethusa acidissima|(L.) M.Roem.
|Hesperethusa ambigua|M.Roem.
|Limonia ambigua|DC.
|Limonia curvispina|Miq.
|Limonia dulcis|J.F.Gmel.
|Limonia elephantum|(Corrêa) Panigrahi
|Limonia engleriana|Perkins
|Limonia pinnatifolia|Houtt.
|Limonia spectabilis|Miq.
|Murraya odorata|Blanco
}}
}}
Limonia acidissima is the only species within the monotypic genus Limonia. Common names for the species in English include wood-apple and elephant-apple.{{GRIN | 22253 | Limonia acidissima | accessdate = 2016-04-03 }} It is sometimes also called monkey fruit.
Description
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2024}}
Limonia acidissima is a large tree growing to {{convert|9|m|ft}} tall, with rough, spiny bark. The leaves are pinnate, with 5-7 leaflets, each leaflet 25–35 mm long and 10–20 mm broad, with a citrus-scent when crushed. The flowers are white and have five petals. The large fruit is a berry 5–9 cm diameter, and may be sweet or sour. It has a very hard rind similar to a rock which can be cracked open, it appears greenish-brown in colour from outside and contains sticky brown pulp and small white seeds. The fruit looks similar in appearance to the Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos). It contains considerable amount of protein, carbohydrate, iron, fat, calcium, Vit-B & C etc. 100 g of ripe fruit pulp contains up to {{convert|49|kcal|kJ|order=flip|abbr=off}} of food energy.
Taxonomy
A number of other species formerly included in the genus are now treated in the related genera Atalantia, Citropsis, Citrus, Glycosmis, Luvunga, Murraya, Micromelum, Naringi, Pamburus, Pleiospermium, Severinia, Skimmia, Swinglea, and Triphasia.{{cite web |author=John H. Wiersema |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?6846 |title=Species in GRIN for genus |publisher=Ars-grin.gov |date=2005-02-22 |accessdate=2011-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001102153408/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?6846 |archive-date=2000-11-02 |url-status=dead }}
Distribution
Limonia acidissima is native to India (including the Andaman Islands), Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.{{cite web | title = Limonia acidissima L. | work = Plants of the World Online | publisher = Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | url = http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:774113-1 |accessdate=2018-03-25}}{{cite book | last = Smith | first = Albert C. | date = 1985 | title = Flora Vitiensis nova : a new Flora of Fiji (spermatophytes only) | volume = 3 | pages = 526–527 | publisher = Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden | location = Lawaii, Hawaii | isbn = 978-0-915809-22-6 | url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30325307#page/538 | via = Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Smithsonian Libraries | accessdate = 2018-03-25}} The species has also been introduced to Indochina and Malesia.
Uses
The fruit is used to make a fruit juice with astringent properties and jams. Ripe fruit can be used as pickle (mashed with green chili pepper, sugar and salt only).{{cite web|author=Jaya Surya Kumari Manthena and K. Mythili |url=https://www.academia.edu/11934371 |title=Development of wood apple pickle |publisher=Int. J. Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2014 |date=2004 |accessdate=2019-06-09}}
In some parts of India, mainly Gujarat, the fruit pulp is used to make chutney which is then used as a main condiment in and on top of meals, especially in winter.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
In Myanmar, the wood is used to make the distinctive local face cream thanaka.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y42DMkS3ZXUC&pg=PA18|last1=Köllner|first1=Helmut|last2=Bruns|first2=Axel |title=Myanmar (Burma)|year=1998|publisher=Hunter Publishing |isbn=9783886184156|pages=18|accessdate=2021-05-08}}
Nutrition
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Woodapple, raw (Daily Value)
| water=64.2 g
| kJ=518.816
| protein=7.1 g
| fat=3.7 g
| carbs=18.1 g
| fiber=5 g
| sugars=0 g
| mineral=1.9 g
| iron_mg=6
| phosphorus_mg=110
| manganese_mg=18
| magnesium_mg=41
| chromium_mg=21
| calcium_mg=130
| zinc_mg=10
| vitC_mg=3
| betacarotene_ug=61
| thiamin_mg=0.04
| riboflavin_mg=17
| niacin_mg=8
| source=1
| note=[http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/fruit-wood-apple-495071272=Calories in Fruit Wood Apple]
values are for edible portion
}}
Gallery
File:Limonia acidissima of Salem.jpg|Woodapple fruit
File:wood-apple dec2007.jpg|Opened woodapple fruit
File:Woodapple juice 14.jpg|A glass of woodapple juice
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Limonia acidissima}}
- [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/wood-apple.html Purdue-hort_edu: The Wood Apple]
- [http://iu.ff.cuni.cz/pandanus/database/details.php?id=712&enc=utf&sort=ka&display=20&lat=&skt=&pkt=&hin=&ben=&tam=&mal=&eng=on&start=340 Pandanus Database - Limonia]
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q935616|from2=Q15943539}}
Category:Fruits originating in Asia
Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent