CHAPTER XIII 



THE LIMES. 



The acid limes, the only ones grown on a commercial 

 scale in America, have quite generally been confused with the 

 lemons, from which they are distinct. In habit of growth, 

 in the winged petioles, in 

 the clustered blossoms, in 

 the flavor of the fruit, 

 they are sui generis. 



Owing to their having 

 been grouped with the 

 lemons, it is difficult to 

 trace their history. They 

 are mentioned by a num- 

 ber of the early writers 

 on citrus fruits Fer- 

 rari, Rumphius, Volcka- 

 mer and others. Sloane 

 enumerates a number of 

 varieties in his Cata- 

 logue of the Plants of Ja- 

 maica^ 



The lime was intro- 

 duced into the West Ind- 

 ies and other parts of the 

 New World by the Span- 

 iards at an early date. It 

 has become naturalized, 

 and may be found in 



many parts Of tropical about natural size. 



and sub-tropical America, growing side by side with the 

 native trees. 



Fig. 12. Flower Buds of Mexican Lime, 



