Citrus jambhiri Lushington (JAMBHIRA)

Jambira term is used by bhat trayi (C.S.Su.27/164; S.S.Su.46/139 & A.H.Su.6/106).  However, Thakur Balvant Singhji was of the opinion that jambira is indicating towards a leafy vegetable as well as jambira fruit.  He considered C. limon (Linn.) Burn f. (Syn : C. medica Linn. Var. limonum) as jambira. Jambiratrna may be one of the species of Cymbopogan.  But, a synonym dantasatha is especially used to indicate the fruit by brhat trayi (C.S.Su.26/112; 27/158; S/S/Su.42/18; 46/162,191 & A.H.Su.6/138).  However, dantasatha is the synonym used in the later texts for bijapura as well as nimbuka. Often citrus fruits like jambira and nimbuka are confused with each other or confused as two varieties of lemon.  In his earlier works author considered both jambira and nimbuka as one and the same.  But we come across jambira and nimbuka as two fruits unde pancamla.  On review it is noticed that Citrus jambhiri Lushington is the correct source of jambhira. While Citrus lemon is nimbuka.  Both jambira and nimbuka are known as dabba kaya and nimma kaya respectively in Andhra Pradesh.

Botanical Description – A medium to large tree with spreading habit, les spiny than lemon; leaves – small, light green, round; flowers small, faintly coloured; fruits lemon-brown, with fleshy apical papilla and strongly developed apical cavity surrounding papilla, rough and irregular; seeds numerous.