The Otaheite or star gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus) is a small, waxy, pale-yellow tropical fruit with six to eight sharp longitudinal ribs that give it a crimped, star-like cross-section. Borne in dense grape-like clusters straight off the trunk and branches, it is one of the sourest common fruits of the tropics — crisp, juicy and fiercely acidic raw — and is used almost entirely for pickles, relishes, chutneys, candy and syrups rather than eaten out of hand.