''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 (biology), family, commonly known as the rue[RUTACEAE](_blank)
in Bo ...
, native to tropical southeastern
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, especially in
Indonesian islands and
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
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 Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
shrub
A shrub or 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 by their multiple ...
(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, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
), growing to 3 m tall. The leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are trifoliate, glossy dark green, each leaflet 2–4 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad. The flower
Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
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 (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
is a red, edible hesperidium
A hesperidium (: hesperidia) is a modified berry with a tough, leathery rind, as in the oranges and lemons of the genus ''Citrus''.
Etymology
Carl Linnaeus gave the name Hesperideæ to an order containing the genus ''Citrus'', in allusion to ...
10–15 mm diameter, similar to a small ''Citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes.
''Citrus'' is nativ ...
'' 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-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
on a number of islands in the tropical Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
.[ 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 approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
archipelagos, and along the United States Gulf Coast from Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
to Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
as well as in the Caribbean. The limeberry has gained some popularity as a bonsai
Bonsai (; , ) is the Japanese art of Horticulture, growing and shaping miniature trees in containers, with a long documented history of influences and native Japanese development over a thousand years, and with unique aesthetics, cultural hist ...
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
* https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2005.11.006
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3024589
Aurantioideae
Tropical fruit
Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman