Botany
· A large tree 12 to 20 m high, nearly glabrous.
· Leaves: even-pinnate, 6 to 10 cm long; leaflets 20 to 40, rather close, oblong, obtuse, 1 to 2 cm long.
· Flowers: calyx about 1 cm long. Petals yellowish with pink stripes, obovate-oblong, less than 1 cm long. Calyx tube turbinate, the teeth lanceolate, much imbricated, the lower 2 connate. Only the 3 upper petals developed, the 2 lateral ones ovate, the upper hooded, the 2 lower ones reduced to scales. Stamens monadelphous, only 3 developed, ovary many-ovuled. Racemes mostly axillary, sometimes panicled, 5 to 10 cm long.
· Fruits: pods oblong, thickened, 6 to 15 cm long, 2 to 3 cm wide, slightly compressed, the exocarp thin, crustaceous, the mesocarp pulpy acid and edible.

Distribution
Widely distributed in the Philippines, commonly cultivated, flowering from April to October.
Propagation by seed, soaked in water for 8 to 9 days before transplanting.

Properties
Astringent, tonic, digestive, antiasthmatic, febrifuge, carminative, antiscorbutic, antibilious.

Constituents
Fixed oil, 15-20%; citric, acetic, butyric and oxalic acids; tannin; pectin.

Parts used and preparation
· Leaves, fruits, flowers, and bark.
· Gather fruits from March to June when fruits ripen.
· Remove rind, dry under the sun.

Uses:
Folkloric
Fever: Macerate pulp or ripe fruit in water, sweeten to taste, and drink.
Laxative: Eat pulp of ripe fruit liberally and follow with plenty of water.
Asthma: Bark; chop and boil a foot-long piece of bark in 3 glasses of water for 10 minutes. Adults, 1 cup after every meal and at bedtime; children, 1/2 cup 4 times daily; Babies, 2 tbsps 4 times daily.
Aromatic bath: Use decoction of leaves, especially after childbirth and during convalescence.
Decoction of ash: For colic, indigestion; as gargle for sore throats, aphthous sores.
Ash preparation: Fry the bark with common salk in an earthen pot until it turns to white ash; heaping teaspoon of the ash to half-cup of boiling water; cool and drink.
Poultice or lotion from bark applied to ulcers, boils, and rashes.
Poultice of leaves to inflammatory swellings of ankles and joints.
Decoction of leaves as postpartum tea; also used as a wash for indolent ulcers.
Flowers for conjunctival inflammation. Internally, as decoction or infusion, for bleeding piles (4 glasses of tea daily).
Pulp surrounding the seeds is cooling and laxative.
Others
Culinary:
As a souring condiment.
Nutritional:
Source of vitamins B and C.
Sweetened, candied.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Cultivated for fruiting and culinary use.
Sweetened and candied.