Ripening in late July, the fruit is a red follicle about the size of a small pea. Being in the citrus family, its taste first reminds one of tart orange rind, but upon chewing, it quickly numbs the mouth-hence the name "toothache tree," reflecting the Native American use of this tree. At maturity a shiny black seed hangs from a slender-stalked, ovoid, wrinkled capsule.