Know the herbs

Scientific name

Citrus aurantifolia (Christm. & Panzer) Swingle

Family

Rutaceae

Local name

Limau asam, limau nipis

Description

This herb consists of the dried fruit of the Citrus aurantifolia (Christm. & Panzer) Swingle plant, appearing as a pale-yellow powder with a lemon-like odor and a bitter taste. The macroscopic characteristics of the plant and fruit show that it is a small, dense, and irregularly branched evergreen tree reaching a height of about 5 m, with twigs equipped with short, sharp, and rigid thorns. The leaves are alternate, elliptic to oblong-ovoid, measuring 4–8 cm × 2–5 cm, with crenulate margins, and narrowly winged petioles with 4–6 lobes. The inflorescence is in the form of short axillary racemes, with small flowers that are white in the bud stage. The fruit is globose to an ovoid berry, 3–6 cm in diameter, sometimes featuring apical papillae, and is yellowish-green in color. The seeds are small, plump, ovoid, pale, and smooth with a white embryo.

Usage

A mixture of lime with glycerin or pepsin is used to treat colds, sore throats, and dyspepsia. In terms of fruit juice use, people in Southeast Asia and Guyana traditionally prepare it to treat nausea, diarrhoea, pain in the stomach or abdominal region, and indigestion, while also acting as a carminative agent, tonic, cough remedy, and for treating nerve pain. For external application and other mixtures, its extract can be applied as a paste on the body during pregnancy and to treat skin problems such as yaws. Additionally, the pulp of the Phyllanthus plant (such as dukung anak) mixed with lime juice is used to treat gonorrhea.