wood-apple

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• elephant apple
• wood apple
• Indian wood-apple
• elephant-apple
• wood-apple
• Indian woodapple

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Feronia balanghas
• Limonia ambigua
• Feronia elephantum
• Feronia limonia
• Anisifolium spectabile
• Anisifolium limonia
• Limonia elephantum
• Limonia curvispina
• Limonia engleriana
• Limonia pinnatifolia
• Limonia spectabilis
• Murraya odorata
• Anisifolium curvispina
• Hesperethusa acidissima
• Hesperethusa ambigua
• Crateva vallanga
• Crateva balangas
• Schinus limonia
• Limonia dulcis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Sapindales and the family Rutaceae, it is classified under the genus Limonia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across the vast landscape of the Indian Subcontinent. Within this region, it can be found growing in the diverse environments of India and Pakistan. Its presence is also well-documented throughout the territory of Bangladesh. Furthermore, the species extends its range to the lush terrains of Assam. Finally, the geographical reach of this medicinal plant includes the island nation of Sri Lanka.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Limonia acidissima is characterized by its status as a perennial species, meaning it maintains its biological functions and structure over many years rather than completing a single life cycle in a short duration. As a perennial woody plant, it establishes a long-term presence in its ecosystem, undergoing successive growth stages and seasonal transformations. A defining physiological trait in its life cycle is its deciduousness; the plant undergoes a seasonal shedding of its foliage, typically in response to dry periods or specific climatic shifts, before regenerating new leaves. This cyclical pattern of leaf senescence and regrowth is a key component of its survival strategy and seasonal rhythm.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Limonia acidissima is characterized by its stature as a robust, woody tree that reaches an average height of approximately 9 meters. As a terrestrial species, it grows in an independent manner without relying on other organisms, functioning as a self-supporting plant rather than a climber, liana, or vine. Its growth form is distinctly arborescent, maintaining a sturdy, woody structure that is characteristic of its life habit.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

9 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Limonia acidissima is characterized by a metabolic framework defined by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, meaning it utilizes the Calvin cycle for carbon fixation without the specialized adaptations found in C4 or CAM plants. This metabolic strategy implies that the plant undergoes photorespiration under high-temperature or high-light conditions, as its primary CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, can react with oxygen. Furthermore, in terms of nutrient cycling and symbiotic associations, Limonia acidissima is not a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the specialized root nodules or symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, relying instead on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Limonia acidissima is primarily facilitated through the production of seeds contained within its fleshy fruit, which serves as the main mechanism for dispersal and propagation. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a highly consistent morphology in terms of weight, showing no variation across observed samples. Specifically, the seed mass is characterized by a uniform value, where the mean, maximum, and minimum measurements all converge at exactly 0.04444 g. This precise and standardized seed mass indicates a stabilized reproductive output, ensuring that each individual seed provides a consistent biological unit for potential germination and the establishment of new seedlings.

Seed mass mean:

0.04444 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Limonia acidissima has 4 reported plant parts identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem, fruit, root.

Leaf

1. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening
2. Folia microbiologica
3. Fitoterapia

Stem

1. Annals of hepatology
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Fruit

1. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Root

1. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Chemicals

Limonia acidissima has 27 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Tannins, Ash, Aurapten, Bergapten.

Flavonoids

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Tannins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Ash

1. Dr. Duke

Aurapten

1. Dr. Duke

Bergapten

1. Dr. Duke

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke

Coumarins

1. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

EO

1. Dr. Duke

Estragole

1. Dr. Duke

FAT

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Limonia acidissima has 257 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antihistaminic, Antimicrobial.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Antihistaminic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Antimicrobial

1. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening
2. Folia microbiologica

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Antiulcer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Cardiotonic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Diuretic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Medicinal Uses

Limonia acidissima has 9 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include asthma, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery, dyspepsia.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations