Averrhoa carambola Linn.
Family :- Oxalidaceae; Averrhoaceae.
Habitat :- Native to Malaysia;
cultivated throughout the warmerparts of India, especially in Kerala.
English :- Carambola, Star Fruit,
Chinese Gooseberry.
Ayurvedic :- Karmaranga.
Unani :- Khamraq, Karmal.
Siddha/Tamil :- Tamarattai.
Folk :- Kamarakh.
Action :- Root—antidote in poisoning.
Leaf and shoot—applied externally in ringworm, scabies,
chickenpox. Flower—vermicidal.
Fruit—laxative, antidysenteric, antiphlogistic, febrifuge, antiinflammatory, antispasmodic (used in hepatic colic, bleeding piles).
Seeds—galactogenic; in large doses act as an emmenagogue and cause
abortion.
The fruits are a fairly good source
of iron but deficient in calcium. They also contain oxalic acid and potassium
oxalate. The presence of fluorine is also reported. A wide variation of vitamin-C content (1.2–2.5 mg/100 g) is recorded from different places in India.
