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T H E C U B A REV I E W 



The Trunk of the Carambola Tree. The fruit of the tree is shown 

 on the side of the trunk 



fruits in the tropics. At one time it was considered valuable as a medicine, being made 

 into a confection called conserva luzulae. Even to this day a syrup is made of the ripe 

 fruit for use in sherbets and cool drinks, which are esteemed as excellent cooling medicine 

 in fevers. The unripe fruit is green and is used as a fine pickle. 



Bilimbi or blimbing is a somewhat smaller tree and the fruit is rarely eaten, but the 

 juice is used by the natives in India and Ceylon for the cure of skin diseases. It has a 

 sharp taste and is reputed as a fine pickle. It is often called the cucumber tree of Goa 

 and is cultivated chiefly along the banks of the Ganges for the sake of the small fruits, 

 which resemble cucumbers. 



Both species, and the carambola in particular, are planted extensively as ornaments 

 on account of the graceful habit of growth and their beautiful pinnate foliage. They are 

 easily propagated by cuttings and will grow in almost any soil as long as it has sufficient 

 moisture. The carambola is cultivated successfully in southern California. 



