To me, Carambola is a delightful fruit. It is quintessentially tropical and exotic. If present in your market, Carambola will decorate a cadre of other unusual fruit, like Kiwi and Lichees.
For the Systematist, Carambola is in the category with Oxalis, so it is closely related to Oxalis tuberosa, which produces the edible tuber called Oca. As you search for Carambola in the Systematist’s fruit market, you would pass by Grapes and Barbados Cherries.
For the Carpologist, the Carambola is nothing like an Apple, it’s a Berry, more or less. That’s because the fruit is fleshy, indehiscent (it does not split open at maturity), and has a thin outer layer.
