Citrus Pages

Limes
Citrus × aurantiifolia and relatives

Introduction
Uses
Cultivation
Botanical names of limes

Mexican lime Common lime, Key lime
Persian lime Tahiti lime, Bearss lime

Kaffir lime Kuffre lime, Kieffer lime, Makrut

Italian lime       Limetta, Sweet lime
Millsweet limetta
Indian lime       Palestinian lime
Mary Ellen sweet lime
Rough lemon
Vangassay
Mandarin lime   Canton lemon
Rangpur lime
Otaheite lime
Kusaie lime
Ginger lime        Ada Jamir
Winged lime      Blacktwig
Calamondin

Persian lime Citrus × latifolia
© C. Jacquemond / INRA

Introduction

This is a varied collection of some of the most acid types of citrus fruit. Only the first few are actual limes. Others are citrus types that share many of the qualities and culinary uses of lime. Limes are some of the smallest of commercially grown citrus fruit. Their thin skin sits very tightly, so peeling a lime can be a laborious task. Limes have few seeds, some are seedless. The flesh and juice of lime often show a nice shade of spring green. There are also limes with an orange or golden colour both in the fruit and on the rind.

Uses

Limes are seldom eaten as fresh fruit, although exceptions are mentioned below. Limes are pressed for juice, which can be used in cooking and when sweetened and diluted with water can be enjoyed as fresh juice or be mixed with other beverages to produce tropical punches and cocktails. The zest of lime is used especially in oriental dishes that are prepared quickly. Lime loses its freshness when boiled too long. All parts of the Kaffir lime used in Indonesian and Thai cuisine enhance the taste of food. When the rind and juice as well as the fresh leaves are used the Kaffir lime releases the strong citric and often pungent aroma so many cherish. Red and orange limes are best when fully matured. The more familiar limes are best when medium ripe, with some green colour still showing on the skin. As the fruit matures and the rind begins to turn yellow the fruit loses some of its fresh taste and becomes less juicy. When you shop ordinary Mexican, Persian or Kaffir limes (see below) make sure you buy fruit that are still as green as possible.

Cultivation

	Limes grow in a warm subtropical or tropical climate. The main producers of lime are India, Egypt, Mexico and the Caribbean islands. The biggest lime plantation in Colima, Mexico has more than two million trees. The skins and solids left over from juice production are an important source of lime oil. The oil is produced from the fruit pulp by vapor distillation and serves as a source of citrus flavour in a large variety of internationally marketed mixers, soft drinks, essences and flavourings.
Botanical names of limes
	Starting from and in accordance with the 1996 Tokyo code of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature where it says: "For any taxon from family to genus inclusive, the correct name is the earliest legitimate one" the botanical names have been changed accordingly. The names of the lime hybrids have been changed to Citrus × limon (L.) Osbeck for lemons and those hybrids of lemons that have citron or sour orange in their backgrounds and to Citrus × jambhiri Lush. for Rough lemon types and lime hybrids that have mandarin in their backgrounds. The most common later classifications of both are given as synonyms. See: Citrus Classification.


LAT	Citrus × aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle Mexican lime
Syn	Citrus lima Lunan Citrus medica var. acida Brandis
	Mexican lime is the most acid of the common citrus fruits used in cooking. This is the round lime grown especially in Mexico, Florida and the West Indies. The colour varies from dark green when immature to a yellowish green when ripe. For food and drinks it is best medium ripe, when still green. This is the Key lime of food recipes. The Key Lime Pie familiar from American cooking is made of graham crackers and condensed milk flavoured with lime. There is no specific variety called Key lime. Limes have long been grown on the islands of south Florida called The Keys. Hence the name. Most commonly cultivated varieties: ’Everglade’,’Palmetto’ and ’Yung’ Other varieties with their country of origin: Brazil: Dourada Egypt: Abu-Srera India: Pursha Iran: Khark, Kirk Madagascar: Ambilobe New Caledonia: Nouvelle Calédonie United States: Ballard, Buona Vista, Giant, Honolulu, Inerme, Newell Viet Nam: Vietnam West Indies: West Indian
ENG	Mexican lime, Key lime, Common lime, West Indian lime
FRA	Limette acide, Lime mexicaine
GER	Limette, Saure Limette, Limettenzitrone
I TA	Limetta mexicana
SPA	Lima ácida, Limón agrio, Limón criollo
Photo		1-2) © C. Jacquemond / INRA © UCR Citrus Variety Collection (4) © Aggie Horticulture TAMU


LAT	Citrus × latifolia Tanaka Persian lime	Variegated Persian lime

	Persian lime (Tahiti lime) is the elongated or ovate seedless lime, often with beautiful spring green flesh and juice. It is less acidic and often juicier than the Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) and likes a warmer climate. Thrives in the tropics where it can produce fruit all year around. In most favourable conditions fruit are picked once a month throughout the year. In the absence of colder seasons or colder nights yellow colour does not always develop in the skin and the fruit can remain fully green also when ripe. The Persian or Tahiti lime Citrus × latifolia is grown neither in Iran nor in Tahiti. The most common cultivated varieties are: ’Bearss’, ’Idemor’ and ’Pond’ Other cultivars include: Tahiti (French Polynesia) Taroudant (Morocco) De La Réunion (Reunion)
ENG	Persian lime, Tahiti lime Seedless lime, Bearss lime
FRA	Lime de Perse, lime de Tahiti
GER	Persische Limette, Tahitilimette, Tahiti-Limonelle
I TA	Limetta di Tahiti
SPA	Lima persa, lima da Persia, lima Tahiti (fruit), limero de Tahiti (tree)
Photos		(1-2) © C. Jacquemond / INRA © Aggie Horticulture TAMU


LAT	Citrus hystrix DC Kaffir Lime
Syn	Citrus torosa Blanco Papeda hystrix
	Kaffir lime is the strong spice used in Indonesian and Thai cooking. The zest and juice as well as the leaves are used. All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic. Especially the sometimes pungent aroma of the leaves is appreciated. Many consider the leaves of the Kaffir lime to have a stronger scent of citrus than lemon grass, but to retain the aroma, don't over boil. The leaves are gathered, several at a time, to form a tube-like shape . This tube is then turned to an (45 degree) angle and cut with a sharp knife into very thin slices. Cut in this manner you will get longish thin stripes that can be added to food during cooking to release their aroma. Best results are obtained when some of the stripes are added at the start of cooking, some when the liquid is added and the rest only a few minutes before the dish is done. In the tropics Kaffir lime is often sold still attached to a twig (see photo) or some leaves are added to your bag. In Europe frozen Kaffir lime leaves can be found in oriental specialty food shops. “Kaffir” means infidel in Arabic, from “kafara”. G. C. Whitworth’s Anglo-Indian Dictionary (1885) states that not only was the term applied by Muslims to unbelievers, but “in Western India the word is a common term of abuse.” When Arab slavers first came to the east coast of Africa they applied the word to the inhabitants, and it is best known today as a derogatory term once used by South African whites of the indigenous blacks. However, the term "kaffir" is not of South-African origin. It is a term that is hundreds of years old in several languages and continues to be used today. It is a descriptive adjective and neither bad nor good in itself. Originally the Karrif Lime was considered inferior to other limes until the unique flavour of its oil in the leaves and in the zest was discovered. The next best name Mauritius papeda has not caught wind. It is a much more descriptive name and also botanically correct because Kaffir Lime is a Papeda. De Candolle (DC) received seeds from Mauritius to his botanical garden in Montpellier in southern France. He described Citrus hystrix in 1824 without knowing that it did not grow naturally in Mauritius where it is a later introduction. The fruit is most likely of Indonesian origin and it is known as jeruk purut in Indonesia, juuk purut in Bali, limau purut in Malaysia and djerook pooroot in other ex-colonies of the former Dutch East Indies. Varieties: Mohéli, Kindia, Nha Trang
ENG	Kaffir lime (Aust.), Mauritius papeda (UK), Kuffre lime (US), Kieffer lime (SE Asia), Leech lime.
FRA	Combava, Limettier hérissé, Lime kaffir
GER	Indische Zitrone, Kaffir Limette
SPA	Lima kafir
Photos		© UCR Citrus Variety Collection (2,3) © C. Jacquemond / INRA (4) © CCPP


LAT	Citrus × limon 'Limetta'
Syn	Citrus limetta Risso
	Limetta (Mediterranean sweet lime) is a lemon hybrid that grows all around the Mediterranean basin. Widely used in drinks and cocktails in the same way as limes. Often called Italian lime in southern European countries. The French name 'mamelon' means nipple and refers to the shape of the fruit. The Mediterranean sweet limetta is an old and reasonably well-known fruit in the Mediterranean and has considerable importance in Tunisia and some localities in Italy. Limetta has three well-known, closely related types: The Marrakech limonette (Moroccan limetta, Limoun Boussera), the Millsweet limetta below and Pomona sweet lemon (bottom picture). Marrakech limonette is medium-sized, apex strongly flattened with broad and deep areolar furrow surrounding a prominent nipple. Rind thin, moderately pitted with sunken oil glands and somewhat bumpy; color light yellowish-orange. Segments about 11. Flesh color pale yellow, juicy, very sour and aromatic. In view of the few and minor differences between Limetta and Millsweet limetta, the confusion in the literature and otherwise is readily understandable but nevertheless unfortunate. The fruit is almost indistinguishable from Millsweet limetta except that Mediterranean Limetta is acidless, hence even more insipidly sweet; chalazal spot is cream-colored instead of purple. In addition, this fruit has often been confused with the Indian or Palestine sweet lime (Citrus limettioides), which it resembles only slightly. In an Analysis of the origin of several citrus speciesa group of scientists in the University of California recently found by studying its chromosomes that the bergamot Citrus bergamia is a cross of sour orange and limetta. Other cultivated varieties: Boufarik (Algeria), Sarbati (India), Shah (Iran), Marrakech (Morocco), Nicaragua (Nicaragua), Lydenbourg (South Africa) and Tunisie (Tunisia) Cultivated varieties include: ’Millsweet’, ’Boufarik’, ’Tunisie’, ’Shah’, ’Marrakech’, ’Lydenbourg’
ENG	Limetta, Sweet limetta, Mediterranean sweet lemon Italian lime, Sweet lime,
FRA	Limette à mamelon, Limette d’Italie, Limon doux
GER	Echte Limette, Süsse Limette, Süsse Zitrone
I TA	Limetta
SPA	Lima dulce, limón dulce
Photo		(1) © Home Citrus Growers (2) Plantes du Sud © UCR Citrus Variety Collection
Link	Home Citrus Growers


LAT	Citrus × limon 'Millsweet'
Syn	Citrus limetta Risso 'Millsweet'
	The Millsweet limetta comes originally from the Mediterranean region. It came through Mexico to the US where it was named Millsweet in 1943. The fruit is low in acidity so the juice is sweet. The Millsweet flowers and produces fruit throughout the year but the main flowering season is in the spring.
ENG	Millsweet limetta, Mexican sweet limetta
FRA	Limette millsweet
I TA	Limetta millsweet
SPA	Lima dulce millsweet
Photos		© UCR Citrus Variety Collection
Link	UCR Citrus Variety Collection


LAT	Citrus × limon (L.) Osbeck 'Indian Lime'
Syn	Citrus limettioides Tanaka
	Indian lime (Palestine sweet lime) is a sweet lime often thought to be a hybrid of limetta and lime. In A study of the genetic origins of various citrus species a group of scientist at the University of Catania found the Palestine Sweet lime to be a cross of sour orange and citron. It is one of the few limes that can be enjoyed fresh. In India the fruit are also cooked whole and eaten as a dessert or preserved either pickled or as a jam. The Palestinian coast and Egypt have also long been areas where this sweet lime is traditionally grown. Also known as the Palestine lime. Cultivated varieties: ‘India’, ‘Columbia’, ‘Soh Synteng’ and ’Palestine’ Other varieties include: Soh Jew (India) and Chiri Dezfoul (Iran).
ENG	Indian lime, Indian sweet lime, Palestinian lime, Palestine sweet lime
FRA	Lime douce de l'Inde, Lime douce India, Limettier doux
GER	Palästinische Limette
I TA	Limetta dolce dell’India
SPA	Lima dulce india, lima de Palestina
IND	Mitha nimbu, mitha nebu, mitha limbu
Photos		© C. Jacquemond / INRA © UCR Citrus Variety Collection


LAT	Citrus × limon (L.) Osbeck ’Mary Ellen’
Syn	Citrus limettioides Tanaka ’Mary Ellen’
	Mary Ellen, an originally Mexican sweet lime variety grown and developed in the United States for commercial use. Another lime that can be eaten fresh.
ENG	Mary Ellen Sweet Lime
FRA
GER
I TA
SPA	Lima dulce Mary Ellen
Photos		© UCR Citrus Variety Collection

Citrus × jambhiri Lush.
LAT	Citrus × jambhiri Lush.
	Cultivated varieties:’Estes’, ’Milam’, 'McKillop' and 'Lockyer'
	Rough lemon is a cross of mandarin and citron. It is discussed in >> lemons.
ENG	Rough lemon,
FRA	Citron verruqueux,
GER	Rauhschalige Zitrone
I TA	Rugoso
SPA	Limón rugoso
Photo		© CINHP / G. McCormack, with permission


LAT	Citrus × jambhiri Lush. 'Vangasay'

	Vangasay (Vangasaille) is a variety of Rough lemon. It is discussed in >> lemons.
ENG	Vangassay
FRA	Vangasaille
Photo		© Gene Lester


LAT	Citrus × jambhiri Lush. 'Mandarin Lime'	Citrus limonia 'Kona Lime'
Syn	Citrus × limonia Osbeck Citrus limonelloides Hayata Citrus limon × Citrus reticulata
	The former Citrus × limonia group consists of several closely related types of citrus trees. All are crosses between lemon and mandarin. They resemble the mandarin in appearance but taste more like limes. The Mandarin lime is thought to have originated in China, where it is called the Canton lime or Canton lemon. Although botanically closer to mandarin the mandarin lime owes its name to its many lime-like uses and because most types are not suited for eating fresh due to their high acidity. The mandarin lime has three well known varieties: Rangpur, Otaheite and Kusaie, which are described below. A variant of this type is described in lemons as a variety called mandarin lemon.
ENG	Mandarin lime, Mandarin lemon, Lemandarin Canton lemon, Chinese lime,
FRA	Lime de Canton
SPA	Lima de Cantón, limón cravo, limón mandarina
Photos	The lime in the pictures is a Hawaiian Citrus limonia variety called 'Kona Lime'	© Ken Love / Hawaiifruit.net


LAT	Citrus × jambhiri Lush. 'Rangpur' Rangpur Lime	Rangpur lime 'Borneo'
Syn	Citrus × limonia var. rangpur Osbeck
	Rangpur lime is an Indian Mandarin lime variety. It has many closely related cultivars. The colour range varies. In spite of its mandarin-like appearance the taste is closer to lime. The tree is usually vigorous and productive, medium-sized, spreading and drooping, with slender twigs, comparatively few and small thorns. Foliage is dull-green and mandarin-like, and new shoot growth lightly purple-tinted. Flowers small and mandarin-like and buds and petals deeply purple-tinged. The trees bear a lot of fruit from November to early spring. In India 20 - 40 % of Rangpur juice is added to mandarin juice to improve its flavour. The Rangpur lime is most valuable as root stock for other citrus varieties. In addition, the Rangpur lime is considered a superior fruit for marmalade in the regions where it is grown. The flavour is said to surpass the flavour of both the Seville orange 'Sevillano' and the bittersweet orange as a marmalade ingredient. In the United States the Rangpur lime is widely used as a hardy, dooryard fruit and ornamental and as a potted or tubbed plant. It is especially well adapted for such uses since it propagates readily from cuttings and is easily dwarfed when the roots are confined. The citrus industry of Brazil uses at least three different clones of Rangpur as rootstock: Limeira and Taquatiringa named after two towns in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and Santa Barbara from California. Recently a Brazilian nursery has introduced a new cultivar Citrolima, which in addition to being more vigorous is said to be resistant to Scab and Foot Rot as well. Cultivated varieties include: Rangpur, Pook Ling Mung, Javaansche, Bakrai, Sangui and Arabie Saoudite.
ENG	Rangpur lime
FRA	Lime Rangpur
GER	Rangpur Mandarinenlimette
SPA	Lima rangpur
IND	Sylhet lime, surkh nimboo, sharbati
Photos	At the top two different colour variants, yellow and red, growing on Corsica,.	(1-2) © C. Jacquemond / INRA (3) © CCPP


LAT	Citrus × jambhiri Lush. 'Otaheite'
Syn	Citrus × limonia Osbeck 'Otaheite' Citrus limonia Osbeck var. otaitensis Tanaka Citrus taitensis Risso Citrus otaitensis Risso & Poit.
	Otaheite lime is considered an acidless, sweet form of the Rangpur lime. In many languages it is called Otaheite orange or Otaheite Rangpur. The tree is similar to the common Rangpur but less vigorous and hence dwarfed. It is almost thornless and the purple coloration on the new shoot growth is more intense. Likewise, the fruit is similar but somewhat smaller, more commonly necked, contains fewer normal seeds (often none), and is insipidly sweet from lack of acid. The Otaheite lime is thought to have originated in India as are many other varieties of the mandarin lime. The name is a misunderstanding. To Europe it arrived via Tahiti and Risso described it in Paris as a citrus from Otaite (Tahiti) in 1813. Its route from there is unknown but it was first listed as a potted ornamental in a 1882 nursery catalog in California. The tree blossoms beautifully in winter and in the citrus belt and Central Europe it is grown in containers as a house plant. In small pots it grows in a dwarfed form but thrives all the same. The flowers are tinted purple on the outside and have a fresh and agreeable scent. At Christmas time the tree bears flowers and fruit simultaneously.
ENG	Otaheite lime, Otaheite orange, Otaheite Rangpur, Tahiti orange
FRA	Orange Otaheite
GER	Otaheite-Orange
Photo		(1) Photo courtesy of Logee's (2-3) © Gene Lester


LAT	Citrus × jambhiri Lush. 'Kusaie'
Syn	Citrus × limonia Osbeck 'Kusaie'
	Kusaie lime is presumably also a form of the Mandarin lime and it is even more limelike in aroma than Rangpur or Otaheite. It is believed to have evolved in India as well where virtually identical fruits are called nasnaran and nemu tenga. Hawaiians believe that early Spanish settlers planted it on Kusaie (nowadays Kosrae) in the Caroline Islands of Micronesia.This fruit was introduced into Hawaii by Henry Swinton in 1885 and from there to the United States by Webber in 1914. The fruit is oval, oblate or round and sometimes faintly necked at the base, the apex rounded or with a slight pointed nipple; 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 in (4-6.25 cm) wide. The peel is deep-yellow with prominent oil glands, medium-thick to thin, leathery and easily removed. Pulp is honey-yellow, in 8 or 9 segments having tender walls; melting, somewhat less acid than the true lime and not so rich in flavor; contains 6 to 10 small seeds; the abundant juice is colorless and transparent. The tree is vigorous, of bushy habit, branched to the ground, but reaching 10 to 20 ft (4.5-6 m) in height. It has only a few small thorns and oval to lanceolate leaves. New growth is pale-green; sends up many root sprouts, forming thickets. It is generally grown from seeds and seedlings may be less thorny and seedy than their parents; can be grafted onto sour orange or other non-sprouting citrus rootstocks to avoid root suckers. Fruiting begins in 1 1/2 to 3 years and the tree is nearly everbearing and prolific. In Hawaii, 11-year-old trees have borne 2,000 fruits, nearly 200 lbs (90.5 kg) per tree. The Kusaie lime is cold-tolerant, immune to withertip but prone to scab and root-rot. It is a common dooryard fruit tree in Hawaii and also grown in Trinidad, but it is little-known elsewhere.
ENG	Kusaie lime
Photo		© Gene Lester


LAT	Citrus assamensis S. Dutta & S.C. Bhattach.
Syn	Citrus pennivesiculata (Lush.) Tanaka var. assamensis hort.
	Ginger lime is a fairly tall tree (up to 4 m) of medium vigour with an open growth habit. When fully grown the tree may look leggy with sparse foliage. It has medium length thorns. Flower and leaf buds have purplish colour. Leaves are elliptical, 8 × 4 cm in size with crenellated edges and have a faint ginger odour when crushed. Fully-grown flowers have white petals. The fruit is ovoid, yellow-green when ripe with a smooth skin and a vestigial nipple. It is 8 × 7 cm in size and has 11-13 segments with firm, yellow flesh and about a dozen seeds. The thick (1 cm) rind is tightly adherent with a white albedo. Fruit hold well on the tree but rind colour fades when exposed to sun. The tree is an average producer. In appearance it looks more like a lemon than a lime. It gets its name from Assam India where people consider its aroma similar to that of ginger. The preceding description and the pictures were given by Gene Lester, who grows this tree in Central California. Ginger lime (Citrus assamensis) was taxonomically thought to be close to Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), but its authors Bhattacharya and Dutta considered it sufficiently different to deserve a separate rank in their comprehensive monograph on the citrus fruits of Assam (1956). It has later been suggested to be a cross of a citron (Citrus medica) and a local lemon variety in Assam, India. It is called Ada jamir in Hindi, A da ya mi in Chinese and Adajamiru and Adashamii in Japanese. Cultivated variety: Moï
ENG	Ginger lime, Ada Jamir, Assam lime
Photos		© Gene Lester


LAT	Citrus longispina Wester Winged lime

	"Winged lime, is an unusual lime in that it has a fair amount of sugar, so it can be eaten out of hand by most people. Pleasant lime flavor. Fruit is globose, about 8 cm and gets ricey if left too long on the plant. Lots of long thorns, as the name implies. Very unusual dark brown, almost black twigs. This color is retained in two- and sometimes three-year wood, the only citrus that I know of that has this characteristic. I called it "Blacktwig" for obvious reasons. I planted some longispina seeds from UCR, and years later, when they first fruited, I could see that they were my Blacktwig, both from the fruit taste and dark twigs." This information and the pictures were given by Gene Lester, who grows this variety in Central California. Winged lime is called Tai la mi san in Chinese and Taramisan in Japanese.
ENG	Winged lime, Blacktwig, Megacarpa papeda
Photos		© Gene Lester


LAT	Citrus × microcarpa Bunge 1833
Syn	Citrus madurensis Loureiro (1717-1791) Citrus mitis Blanco 1837 X Citrofortunella mitis J. Ingram & H. E. Moore 1975 Citrofortunella × microcarpa (Bunge) Wijnands 1984 Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Nagami' × Citrus sunki Tanaka For an explanation of the botanical names, see Citrus Classification, example D.
	Calamondin is a cross between the Sour mandarin (Citrus sunki Tanaka, formerlly Citrus reticulata var. austera Swingle) and the Nagami Kumquat (Citrus japonica Thunb.' Nagami', formerly Fortunella japonica Swingle). For a more thorough description, see Kumquat hybrids. It is also listed here under Limes because of its many lime-like food uses. Calamondin has inherited more qualities from the mandarin than the kumquat. Whereas the rind of kumquats is usually edible, the rind of Calamondin resembles those of the genus Citrus in being often too sour for consumption especially in the larger fruits (3 - 4 cm in diameter). Calamondin can be used in the kitchen instead of lime. It was used in mixing drinks before lime became popular. It is good for marinating fish and in sauces for fish dishes. It is used in marmalades and jams. Calamondin can be pickled whole or in slices like cucumbers. The taste of Calamondin is best when it has fully matured.
ENG	Calamondin, Golden lime, Kalamansi lime, Panama orange, Musklime, Philippine lime
FRA	Calamondin
GER	Calamondine, Zwergapfelsine
SPA	Calamondin, Lima de las Filipinas, Lemonsito
Photos		(1) © UCR CCPP (2) © Tradewinds Fruit (3) © Joe Real