Carambola, also known as star fruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola, a species of tree native to tropical Southeast Asia. The edible fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides. When cut in cross-section, it resembles a star, giving it the name of star fruit. The entire fruit is edible, usually raw, and may be cooked or made into relishes, preserves, garnish, and juices. It is commonly consumed in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the South Pacific, Micronesia, parts of East Asia, the United States, parts of Latin America, and the Caribbean. The tree is cultivated throughout tropical areas of the world.
Castilleja, commonly known as paintbrush, Indian paintbrush, or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. These plants are classified in the broomrape family Orobanchaceae. They are hemiparasitic on the roots of grasses and forbs. The generic name honors Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo.
The Oxalidaceae, or wood sorrel family, are a small family of five genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees, with the great majority of the 570 species in the genus Oxalis. Members of this family typically have divided leaves, the leaflets showing "sleep movements", spreading open in light and closing in darkness.
Rapid plant movement encompasses movement in plant structures occurring over a very short period, usually under one second. For example, the Venus flytrap closes its trap in about 100 milliseconds. The traps of Utricularia are much faster, closing in about 0.5 milliseconds. The dogwood bunchberry's flower opens its petals and fires pollen in less than 0.5 milliseconds. The record is currently held by the white mulberry tree, with flower movement taking 25 microseconds, as pollen is catapulted from the stamens at velocities in excess of half the speed of sound—near the theoretical physical limits for movements in plants.
Averrhoa bilimbi is a fruit-bearing tree of the genus Averrhoa, family Oxalidaceae. It is believed to be originally native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia but has naturalized and is common throughout Southeast Asia. It is cultivated in parts of tropical South Asia and the Americas. It bears edible but extremely sour fruits. It is a close relative of the carambola tree.
Trichosanthes is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines. They belong to the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae), and are closely related to Gymnopetalum. Hodgsonia, formerly included here, is usually considered a well-distinct genus nowadays.
Averrhoa carambola is a species of tree in the family Oxalidaceae native to tropical Southeast Asia; it has a number of common names, including carambola, star fruit and five-corner. It is a small tree or shrub that grows 5 to 12 m tall, with rose to red-purple flowers. The flowers are small and bell-shaped, with five petals that have whitish edges. The flowers are often produced year round under tropical conditions. The tree is cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions for its edible fruits.
Cauliflory is a botanical term referring to plants that flower and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks, rather than from new growth and shoots. It is rare in temperate regions but common in tropical forests.
Plumbago is a genus of 23 species of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. Common names include plumbago and leadwort.
Cucumber tree is a common name for several unrelated trees and may refer to:
Lasianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests.
Manis is a genus of pangolins.
Golden Star is a carambola cultivar that was developed at the Tropical Research and Education Center of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (FAES), an agricultural research program of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Sorrel, Rumex acetosa, is a perennial herb cultivated as a leaf vegetable.
Sphenarches anisodactylus, commonly known as the geranium plume moth, is a species of moth in the family Pterophoridae. It is found in western Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, the New Hebrides and Central and South America, as well as Australia, where it has been recorded from Cape York to central New South Wales. It is found in the United States, where it has been recorded from Florida, as well as Mississippi. It is also present in the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand.
Darna pallivitta, the nettle caterpillar or stinging nettle caterpillar, is a moth of the genus Darna and family Limacodidae. It is native to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Borneo. It was introduced to Hawaii in 2001.
Diacrotricha fasciola, commonly known as the starfruit flowermoth, is a species of moth in the family Pterophoridae. It is widely distributed throughout south-east Asia.
Caramboxin (CBX) is a toxin found in star fruit. Individuals with some types of kidney disease are susceptible to adverse neurological effects including intoxication, seizures and even death after eating star fruit. Caramboxin has been identified as the neurotoxin responsible for these effects. Caramboxin is a non-proteinogenic amino acid that stimulates the glutamate receptors in neurons. Its chemical structure is similar to the amino acid phenylalanine. Caramboxin is an agonist of both NMDA and AMPA glutamatergic ionotropic receptors with potent excitatory, convulsant, and neurodegenerative properties.
Homona tabescens is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in south-east Asia, where it has been recorded from Java, Sabah, China, Thailand, Malaysia, New Guinea and Vietnam.
Gatesclarkeana erotias is a moth of the family Tortricidae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1905. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Timor and Thailand.
