96. Limon agrio, lime 



RUE FAMILY (RUTACEAE) 



Citrus aurantifolia (L.) Swingle* 



Several species of citrus (<jenus Citrus) native 

 in southei'n Asia are cultivated for their well- 

 known edil)le fruits. Characteristics for identifi- 

 cation of tlie proup are: (1) aromatic, glandular 

 evergreen slirubs and small trees with distinctive 

 spicy odor and taste of crushed parts; (2) green 

 twigs mostly with sharp brown-ti])ped green 

 spines i/g-l inch long, single at base of leaves; 

 (3) alternate leathery leaves, green to dark gi-een 

 and mostly elliptic, with many minute rounded 

 teeth on margin and lunnerous tiny gland dots vis- 

 ible against tlie light; (-1) petiole jointed with 

 blade (except in 1 species) and usually winged; 

 (5) fragrant white (sometiuies purplish-tinged) 

 flowers with 4-G spreading, slightly fleshy, gland- 

 dotted petals %-2 inches across; and (G) rounded 

 or elliptic yellow or orange fruits (berry or hes- 

 peridiuin), green when immature, composed of an 

 aromatic i)eeling, 8-15 cells with many pointed 

 juicy sacs, and several to many whitish seeds. 



Lime is distinguished from the other kinds of 

 citrus fruits by: (1) the small elliptic fruit II/2- 

 21/^ inches long and 1-2 inches in diameter, ))ointed 

 or rounded at apex, smooth, green but turning to 

 greenish yellow, with thin peeling Vj,; inch thick, 

 and with very sour green flesh; (2) small white 

 flowers only I/2-I ineh across the -1 or 5 petals: and 

 (3) small dull green, elliptic leaves commonly 

 rounded or blunt-jiointed at apex and with nar- 

 rowly winged jietioles. 



An evergreen aromatic and glandular shrub or 

 small tree to 20 feet higii, with irregular branches. 

 The brown bark is smoothish, inner bark pale yel- 

 low and bitter. The green to dark green tw"ig.s, 

 angled wlien young, have short sharp spines, us- 

 ually Vs-% inch long, green and tipped with 

 brown, solitary at base of the alternate leaves. 



The green petioles %-% inch long are jointed 

 with blade. The small thick and leathery blade is 

 11/0-3 inches long and %-134 inches wide, some- 

 times to 4 inches long and 214 inches broad, round- 

 ed at base, the edges with many minute rounded 

 teeth, and with numerous tiny gland dots visible 

 against the light. Upper surface is dull green, 

 and lower surface is dull light green. 



Flowers, only slightly fragrant, are produced 

 in clusters of 2-7 on short stalks at base of a leaf. 

 The white saucer-shaped calyx is about %6 inch 

 across and less than i/g inch high, with 4 or 5 

 teeth; 4 or 5 white oblong gland-dotted petals 

 about 1/2 inch long; 20-25 white stamens Vi inch 

 long, separate at base, with yellow anthers; and 

 pistil % inch long on a whitish disk, consisting 

 of green rounded ovary with 9-12 cells, stout 

 whitish style, and yellowish rounded stigma. 



The fruit (berry or hesperidium) has a few 

 whitish elliptic pointed seeds about % inch long, 

 with brownish-red caps at end. Flowering in 

 spring to July, later than the other species of 



218 



citrus, and maturing fruit in summer and fall. 



The hard wood with whitish sapwood is little 

 used locally. When pruned back, the plants make 

 a good fence. Also a honey plant. 



The fruit is picked and shipped green. It is 

 utilized extensively in refreshing drinks and for 

 seasoning foods. ' The West Indian islands of 

 Montserrat and Dominica produce quantities of 

 lime fruits and lime juice for export. The fruit is 

 the main source of citric acid for tlie dyeing indus- 

 try and medicinal use, and lime oil "is extracted 

 from the rind. The bottled juice, which is rich in 

 vitamin C, has been carried on ships as a means 

 of preventing scurvy. A tea or tonic has been 

 prepared from the leaves. 



Cultivated and escaping or naturalized, chiefly 

 at low elevations, in Puerto Rico and Mona, St. 

 Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. 



Range. — Native of East Indian Archipelago but 

 introduced into the New World more than 400 

 years ago. Widely cultivated and naturalized in 

 tropical and suI)tropical regions, including south- 

 ern Florida and Florida Keys, West Indies, and 

 from Mexico to South America. 



Other common names. — West Indian lime 

 (Virgin Islands) ; lima (Spanish) ; lima boba 

 (Dominican Republic) ; limon criollo, lima agria 

 (Cuba); lima chica (Mexico); limon (Central 

 America) ; lima agria (Venezuela) ; limon sutil 

 (Ecuador) ; limon agrio (Pent) ; lime. West In- 

 clian lime (English); lime-leaf-plant (Grena- 

 dines) ; citron (Haiti) ; citron commun (Guade- 

 loupe) ; lamunchi, lemoen (Dutch West Indies). 



Botanical synonym. — Cifrxis lima Lunan. 



Sweet lime or limon dulce (citron doux in 

 French) apparently is a variation or hybrid of 

 lime or limon agrio and not botanically distinct, 

 tliough it has been i-ecognized by some authors as 

 a species (C/fn/s limefta Risso) . It has a rounded 

 greenish-yellow fruit 2iv> inches in diameter, with 

 whitish or greenish-tinged flesh which is slightly 

 sweet or insipid. Sometimes planted as a fruit 

 tree in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in tropical 

 America, though not ranking highly among the 

 citrus fruits because of the weak flavor. 



Besides the 5 citrus species described and illus- 

 trated here, a few others are less frequently culti- 

 vated. Mandarin orange, tangerine, or mandarina 

 {Citrus reticuhita Blanco;* synonym C. noHTis 

 auth., not Lour.) has orange rounded fruits 2-3 

 inches in diameter, broader than long, with loose 

 peel and easily separable segments. 



Pummelo, shaddock, or pomelo {Citrus grandis 

 (L.) Osbeck*) has large yellow fruits round or 

 slightly pear-shaped, 5-6 inches in diameter. 



Citron or cidra {Citrus mediea L.*), usually 

 shrubby, has large yellow fniits oblong or elliptic, 

 5-8 inches long, and about 2 inches in diameter, 

 with very thick peel and small pulp. 



