Triphasia trifolia

Details Top

Internal ID UUID643ffea8334bc985063096
Scientific name Triphasia trifolia
Authority (Burm.f.) P.Wilson
First published in Torreya 9: 33 (1909)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
The plant yields three main commercial products: ripe fruit, leaf material, and an essential oil distilled from the leaves. The fruit is sold fresh in local markets and is processed into jams, candied fruit, pickles and sweet‑sour sauces. Leaf material is used as a dried spice or flavoring herb, and steam‑distilled leaf oil provides a citrus‑like aroma for fragrance applications.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
The orange‑brown berries, about 5–10 mm across, are harvested when fully ripe. They have a pronounced sour taste and are used in traditional preserves; the berries are boiled with sugar to make jam, combined with vinegar and spices for pickles, or candied. In some regions the berries are steeped in water or alcohol to produce a tart beverage or added whole to soups and stews as a flavor enhancer. The leaves are dried, ground, and used as a spice in regional dishes, especially with fish, meat or vegetables, where a bright, slightly bitter note is desired.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
Steam distillation of the leaves (and to a lesser extent the fruit peel) yields a clear, aromatic essential oil. This oil is incorporated into fragrance compositions, soaps, detergents and personal‑care products for its fresh citrus scent and good volatility. Its use is primarily in the top‑note range of perfume blends.

Properties relevant to use:
The fruit pulp is highly acidic, giving a low pH and a tart flavor that contributes to the preservation quality of jams and pickles. The berries are small with a thin pericarp, allowing rapid processing. The leaf material is aromatic and releases a volatile oil that imparts a characteristic citrus‑like aroma; the oil’s volatility and solubility in alcohol make it suitable for fragrance formulations. No specific chemical composition data are widely reported beyond qualitative descriptions of the scent.

Standards and regulation:
No species‑specific international standards exist for Triphasia trifolia. Food uses are subject to national food safety legislation and, where applicable, to Codex Alimentarius guidelines for food additives and contaminants. Fragrance and cosmetic applications must meet the general requirements of regional cosmetics regulations (e.g., EU Cosmetic Regulation, US FDA Cosmetic Act) that require safety assessments of essential‑oil components.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Triphasia trifolia is harvested primarily from wild populations across its native range. Commercial cultivation is limited, and the current demand for the fruit, leaves and oil is low, resulting in limited pressure on wild stocks. Sustainable harvesting practices, such as selective picking of ripe fruit and leaves, are recommended, and monitoring of wild populations is advisable to prevent over‑exploitation.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Limonia retusa D.Don Prodr. Fl. Nepal. : 224 (1825)
Limonia trifolia Burm.f. Fl. Indica : 103 (1768)
Limonia trifoliata L. Mant. Pl. 2: 237 (1771)
Limonia diacantha DC. Prodr. 1: 536 (1824)
Triphasia diacantha M.Roem. Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 37 (1846)
Triphasia aurantiola Lour. Fl. Cochinch. : 153 (1790)
Triphasia trifoliata DC. Prodr. 1: 536 (1824)
Triphasia javanica M.Roem. Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 38 (1846)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English limeberry
ban kingkit
bcl limonsitongkastila
Indonesian jeruk kingkit
Indonesian kingkit
jv jeruk kingkit
Chinese 锦橘果
Chinese 香吉果

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • Western Indian Ocean
      • Chagos Archipelago
      • Mauritius
      • Rodrigues
      • Réunion
      • Seychelles
  • Asia-tropical
    • Indian Subcontinent
      • Bangladesh
      • Maldives
    • Indo-China
      • Andaman Islands
      • Cambodia
      • Myanmar
      • Nicobar Nicobar
      • Vietnam
    • Malesia
      • Borneo
      • Christmas Island
      • Cocos (keeling) Islands
      • Jawa
      • Lesser Sunda Islands
      • Malaya
      • Maluku
      • Philippines
    • Papuasia
      • New Guinea
      • Solomon Islands
  • Northern America
    • South-central U.S.A.
      • Texas
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Florida
  • Pacific
    • North-central Pacific
      • Hawaii
    • Northwestern Pacific
      • Caroline Islands
      • Marianas
    • Southwestern Pacific
      • Fiji
  • Southern America
    • Brazil
      • Brazil Southeast
      • Brazil West-central
    • Caribbean
      • Bahamas
      • Cayman Islands
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Haiti
      • Leeward Islands
      • Puerto Rico
      • Trinidad-Tobago
      • Windward Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panamá
    • Northern South America
      • French Guiana
      • Guyana
      • Suriname
      • Venezuela
    • Western South America
      • Colombia

Links to other databases Top

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Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000455326
Florida Plant Atlas 1497
USDA Plants TRTR7
Tropicos 28100526
INPN 630838
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:258565-2
The Plant List kew-2514763
Open Tree Of Life 806815
NCBI Taxonomy 159070
Nature Serve 2.145637
IPNI 258565-2
iNaturalist 155756
GBIF 3190406
Freebase /m/02wcx4y
EPPO TPHTR
USDA GRIN 40476
Wikipedia Triphasia_trifolia

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Variation in microbial feature perception in the Rutaceae family with immune receptor conservation in citrus Trinh J, Li T, Franco JY, Toruño TY, Stevens DM, Thapa SP, Wong J, Pineda R, de Dios EÁ, Kahn TL, Seymour DK, Ramadugu C, Coaker GL Plant Physiol 05-May-2023
PMCID:PMC10686701
doi:10.1093/plphys/kiad263
PMID:37144828
Conserving Citrus Diversity: From Vavilov’s Early Explorations to Genebanks around the World Volk GM, Gmitter FG Jr, Krueger RR Plants (Basel) 11-Feb-2023
PMCID:PMC9964561
doi:10.3390/plants12040814
PMID:36840162
Plant Coumarins with Anti-HIV Activity: Isolation and Mechanisms of Action Sharapov AD, Fatykhov RF, Khalymbadzha IA, Zyryanov GV, Chupakhin ON, Tsurkan MV Int J Mol Sci 02-Feb-2023
PMCID:PMC9917851
doi:10.3390/ijms24032839
PMID:36769163
Diversity of Useful Plants in Cabo Verde Islands: A Biogeographic and Conservation Perspective Duarte MC, Gomes I, Catarino S, Brilhante M, Gomes S, Rendall A, Moreno Â, Fortes AR, Ferreira VS, Baptista I, Dinis H, Romeiras MM Plants (Basel) 15-May-2022
PMCID:PMC9144021
doi:10.3390/plants11101313
PMID:35631738
Pathotyping Citrus Ornamental Relatives with Xanthomonas citri pv. citri and X. citri pv. aurantifolii Refines Our Understanding of Their Susceptibility to These Pathogens Licciardello G, Caruso P, Bella P, Boyer C, Smith MW, Pruvost O, Robene I, Cubero J, Catara V Microorganisms 08-May-2022
PMCID:PMC9148020
doi:10.3390/microorganisms10050986
PMID:35630430
Pest categorisation of Diaphorina citri Bragard C, Dehnen‐Schmutz K, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jacques M, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Kertesz V, Streissl F, MacLeod A EFSA J 06-Jan-2021
PMCID:PMC7786542
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6357
PMID:33437319
Animal movement drives variation in seed dispersal distance in a plant–animal network Rehm E, Fricke E, Bender J, Savidge J, Rogers H Proc Biol Sci 16-Jan-2019
PMCID:PMC6367185
doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.2007
PMID:30963874
Landscape-level bird loss increases the prevalence of honeydew-producing insects and non-native ants Freedman MG, Miller RH, Rogers HS Oecologia 26-Oct-2018
PMCID:PMC6244808
doi:10.1007/s00442-018-4273-5
PMID:30367244
Antiglycation, comparative antioxidant potential, phenolic content and yield variation of essential oils from 19 exotic and endemic medicinal plants Mahomoodally F, Aumeeruddy-Elalfi Z, Venugopala KN, Hosenally M Saudi J Biol Sci 03-May-2018
PMCID:PMC6864152
doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2018.05.002
PMID:31762658
Pest categorisation of Toxoptera citricida Jeger M, Bragard C, Caffier D, Candresse T, Chatzivassiliou E, Dehnen‐Schmutz K, Gilioli G, Grégoire J, Jaques Miret JA, Navarro MN, Niere B, Parnell S, Potting R, Rafoss T, Rossi V, Urek G, Van Bruggen A, Van der Werf W, West J, Winter S, Gardi C, Bergeretti F, MacLeod A EFSA J 11-Jan-2018
PMCID:PMC7009757
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5103
PMID:32625662
Seed dispersal increases local species richness and reduces spatial turnover of tropical tree seedlings Wandrag EM, Dunham AE, Duncan RP, Rogers HS Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 28-Aug-2017
PMCID:PMC5635905
doi:10.1073/pnas.1709584114
PMID:28847937
Towards a molecular taxonomic key of the Aurantioideae subfamily using chloroplastic SNP diagnostic markers of the main clades genotyped by competitive allele-specific PCR Oueslati A, Ollitrault F, Baraket G, Salhi-Hannachi A, Navarro L, Ollitrault P BMC Genet 18-Aug-2016
PMCID:PMC4991024
doi:10.1186/s12863-016-0426-x
PMID:27539067
Three invasive insects alter Cycas micronesica leaf chemistry and predict changes in biogeochemical cycling Marler TE, Dongol N Commun Integr Biol 15-Aug-2016
PMCID:PMC5100656
doi:10.1080/19420889.2016.1208324
PMID:27829976
Nuclear Species-Diagnostic SNP Markers Mined from 454 Amplicon Sequencing Reveal Admixture Genomic Structure of Modern Citrus Varieties Curk F, Ancillo G, Ollitrault F, Perrier X, Jacquemoud-Collet JP, Garcia-Lor A, Navarro L, Ollitrault P PLoS One 14-May-2015
PMCID:PMC4431842
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0125628
PMID:25973611
Assessment of Navel Oranges, Clementine Tangerines, and Rutaceous Fruits as Hosts of Bactrocera cucurbitae and Bactrocera latifrons (Diptera: Tephritidae) McQuate GT, Follett PA, Liquido NJ, Sylva CD Int J Insect Sci 29-Jan-2015
PMCID:PMC4722881
doi:10.4137/IJIS.S20069
PMID:26816484

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquaterpenoids
(8E,10E,12E,14E,16E,18E,20E,22E,24E)-25-[(4S)-4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl]-6,6,10,14,19,23-hexamethylpentacosa-8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24-nonaene-2,7-dione 163100564 Click to see 584.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00831A104
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones
Auraptene 1550607 Click to see CC(=CCCC(=CCOC1=CC2=C(C=C1)C=CC(=O)O2)C)C 298.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80163-8
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
6,6,10,14,19,23,27,27-Octamethyldotriaconta-8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24-nonaene-2,7,26,31-tetrone 73656900 Click to see 600.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85593-4
beta-Carotenone 20055197 Click to see CC(=O)CCCC(C)(C)C(=O)C=CC(=CC=CC(=CC=CC=C(C)C=CC=C(C)C=CC(=O)C(C)(C)CCCC(=O)C)C)C 600.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85593-4
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives
5,7-dimethoxy-8-[(2R,3R,5S,6S)-2,3,5-trihydroxy-6-(3-hydroxy-2,2,3-trimethylbutoxy)-7-(7-methoxy-2-oxochromen-8-yl)-3,5-dimethylheptyl]chromen-2-one 163188658 Click to see 684.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2005.11.006
5,7-Dimethoxy-8-[2,3,5-trihydroxy-6-(3-hydroxy-2,2,3-trimethylbutoxy)-7-(7-methoxy-2-oxochromen-8-yl)-3,5-dimethylheptyl]chromen-2-one 163042481 Click to see CC(C)(COC(CC1=C(C=CC2=C1OC(=O)C=C2)OC)C(C)(CC(C)(C(CC3=C(C=C(C4=C3OC(=O)C=C4)OC)OC)O)O)O)C(C)(C)O 684.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2005.11.006
7-[(2S)-2,3-dihydroxy-3-methylbutoxy]-8-(3-methyl-2-oxobutyl)chromen-2-one 163071113 Click to see CC(C)C(=O)CC1=C(C=CC2=C1OC(=O)C=C2)OCC(C(C)(C)O)O 348.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(81)85288-0
Isomeranzin 473252 Click to see CC(C)C(=O)CC1=C(C=CC2=C1OC(=O)C=C2)OC 260.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(81)85288-0
https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1574-695X.1998.TB01136.X
Meranzin hydrate 5070783 Click to see 278.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80163-8
Murrangatin 13917407 Click to see 276.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80163-8
Triphasiol 157953 Click to see 348.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(81)85288-0
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80163-8
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Psoralens / 5-methoxypsoralens
(+)-Byakangelicin 10211 Click to see 334.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80163-8
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins
Umbelliferone 5281426 Click to see C1=CC(=CC2=C1C=CC(=O)O2)O 162.14 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(81)85288-0

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