Averrhoa BILIMBI L.
| Synonym : | Averrhoa abtusangulata Stokes Averrhoa obtusangula Stokes |
|---|---|
| Bangla Name : | Bilimbi, Belembu. |
| English Name : | Bilimbi, Cucumber Tree. |
| Family : | Averrhoaceae |
| Disease : | Astringent, stomachic, refrigerant, haemorrhage, piles, scurvy, hepatitis, fever, diarrhoea and bilious colic. |
| Description : | A small tree, 4-5 m high. Leaves imparipinnate, leaflets 5-17 pairs, 1.2-8 cm, oblong or linear lanceolate, acuminate, pubescent beneath. Inflorescence a panicled cymes, springing from the trunk and branches. Flowers 1.5-2 cm long, purplish to red. Fruits 7-7.7 cm long, oblong, faintly 5-angled, light yellow at maturity. |
| Distribution : | Planted throughout the country, especially Chittagong, Comilla and Dhaka. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Fruits are rich in oxalic acid, vitamin C, tannins and minerals. Fifty-three volatile components, consisting mainly of the aliphatic acids, hexadecanoic acid and 9-octadecanoic acid, and the esters, butyl nicotinate, have found in the fruits. Fruits also |
| Uses : | The fruit is astringent, stomachic and refrigerant. The syrup of the fruit is useful in relieving thirst, febrile excitement, and also in some slight cases of haemorrhage from the bowels, stomach and internal haemorrhoids. The fruit itself, in the form of |
| Habit : | Small tree |