''Triphasia trifolia'' (
syn. ''Limonia trifolia'' Burm. f., ''Triphasia aurantiola'' Lour.; also called limeberry, lime berry, "sweet lime" or limoncitong kastila) is a species of ''
Triphasia
''Triphasia'' is a small genus of three species in the family Rutaceae, related to ''Citrus''. The genus is native to southeastern Asia and New Guinea.Germplasm Resources Information Network''Triphasia''Huxley, A, ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary ...
'' in the family
Rutaceae
The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rue[RUTACEAE](_blank)
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...
, native to tropical southeastern
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
especially in
Indonesian islands and
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and possibly elsewhere.
[Huxley, A, ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening'' 3: 697. Macmillan .][Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk]
''Triphasia trifolia''
/ref>
Triphasias are very close relatives of citrus.
Description
It is a spiny evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
(rarely a small tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
) growing to 3 m tall. The leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are trifoliate, glossy dark green, each leaflet 2–4 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad. The flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are white, with three petals 10–13 mm long and 4 mm broad.
The fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
is a red, edible hesperidium
A hesperidium (plural hesperidia) is a modified berry with a tough, leathery rind.
Etymology
Carl Linnaeus gave the name Hesperideæ to an order containing the genus ''Citrus'', in allusion to the golden apples of the Hesperides.
Development
...
10–15 mm diameter, similar to a small ''Citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...
'' fruit. The fruit flesh is pulpy, with a flavor reminiscent of a slightly sweet lime.[Plants for a Future]
''Triphasia trifolia''
/ref>
Triphasia_trifolia_flower.jpg, T. trifolia blossoms
Triphasia_trifolia_shrub.jpg, T. trifolia foliage
Cultivation and uses
It is grown for its edible fruit, and has been widely introduced to other subtropical to tropical regions of the world; it has become naturalized
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
on a number of islands in the tropical Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
.[ It has also been noted as a potential invasive in several ]Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
archipelagos, and along the United States Gulf Coast from Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
to Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
as well as in the Caribbean. The limeberry has gained some popularity as a bonsai
Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...
plant. More tropical than true citrus, it must be kept in greenhouses even in many locations where true citrus thrive. In true tropical locations, limeberry may have some promise as a potential commercial fruit crop.
Additionally, the leaves on the limeberry plant are known to have antimicrobial properties housed inside the chemical component of the flowers. As such, there have been cases in the North Pacific Islands where limeberry has been consumed to treat lung cancer and pneumonia. However, more studies are needed to make a definitive claim regarding its medicinal uses.
This tree is also considered a weed in other introduced locations.
See also
* Classification of Triphasia
References