Wood Apple

Wood apple

Scientific name: Limonia acidissima Groff 

Synonym: Schinus limonia L.

Local name: ‘Koethbel’

Monkey fruit is a common name for several plants and can refer to some species in the genera of Artocarpus, Garcinia and Limonia.

Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1988)

Kingdom        : Plantae

Division          : Magnoliophyta

Class               : Magnoliopsida

Subclass          : Rosidae

Order              : Sapindales

Family             : Rutaceae

Genus             : Limonia

Species            : L. acidissima

Botanical Description of Wood Apple

Habit: Perennial tree

Root: Tap root system

Stem: A medium-sized semi deciduous tree up to 12 m tall, branches contain sharp spine.

Leaf: Alternate, imparipinate.

Inflorescence: Axillary terminal

Flower: Small, dull or greenish white, complete, actinomorphic

Calyx: sepals broadly deltoid.

Corolla: Petal, oblong-obovate

Economic Importance

Used as fruit

Table 1. Wood apple variety developed by Horticultural Research Center, BARI, Joydebpur, Bangladesh