Bilimbi
Averrhoa bilimbi
Also known as Tree Sorrel, Kamias
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Kerala, Goa, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
How to identify Bilimbi
Identify Bilimbi by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Sour edible fruit growing directly on the trunk (bilimbi).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Panicle.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Averrhoa bilimbi
- Genus
- Averrhoa
- Family
- Oxalidaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Garden plant
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Tropical America, Malaysia
- Distribution
- Cultivated in tropics
- Found in India
- Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Telangana
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Bilimbi leaves are alternate, pinnate, measuring approximately 30–60 cm in length.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compoundrecordedLeaflets are arranged in rows along a central stalk, like a feather.“Bilimbi leaves are alternate, pinnate, measuring approximately 30–60 cm in length.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bilimbi itself; the rest are typical of the Oxalidaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower arrangement
- PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.“The tree is cauliflorous with 18–68 flowers in panicles that form on the trunk and other branches.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bilimbi itself; the rest are typical of the Oxalidaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- बिलिम्बी Bilimbi
- Bengali
- বিলিম্বি, বেলেম্বু
- Tamil
- Pulima, விளி
- Telugu
- Gommareku, దోసచెట్టు, బిలింబి దోశ
- Kannada
- ಬಿಲಿಂಬಿ, ಬಿಳಿಂಬಿ Bilimbi, ಬಿಂಬಲಿ Bimbali
- Malayalam
- Vilumpi, ഇലുമ്പി, പുളിഞ്ചി
- Marathi
- Bilambi
About Bilimbi
Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) belongs to the Oxalidaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Goa, Karnataka and 5 other states. It grows in garden plant. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.
Uses
It is grown for parts that are eaten.
Oxalidaceae
Wood sorrel family
Bilimbi belongs to the Oxalidaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Oxalidaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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