Finger lime | |
---|---|
Green skin type finger lime | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Citrus |
Species: | C. australasica |
Binomial name | |
Citrus australasica | |
Synonyms [3] | |
|
Citrus australasica, the finger lime or caviar lime, is a thorny understorey shrub or small tree of lowland subtropical rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It has edible fruits which are grown as a commercial crop.
Citrus australasica is a shrub or small tree to about 10 m (33 ft) tall with sharp spines up to 2.5 cm (1 in) long in the leaf axils . The leaves are light green in colour, obovate or rhombic in shape, and arranged alternately along the twigs. They measure up to 2.5 cm (1 in) wide and long, but may reach 5 cm (2 in) long, and they may be faintly crenate (scalloped) towards the apex. Like many other plants in the genus, the leaves contain numerous oil glands and are aromatic when crushed. [4] [5]
The flowers are either solitary or paired and are set on peduncles about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The sepals are tiny, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, the white petals are up to 9 mm (0.35 in) long. Stamens number between 20 and 25. [4] [5]
The fruit is a botanical berry, cylindrical and tapered at both ends, slightly curved and about 8 cm (3.1 in) long. The skin is rough with numerous oil glands, and greenish yellow to pink. They contain numerous pale seeds about 7 mm (0.28 in) long. [4] [5] [6]
This species was first described by Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, and was published in the first volume of his massive work Fragmenta phytographiæ Australiæ in 1858. [7] American botanist Walter Tennyson Swingle, in a 1915 review of the genus Citrus, placed all four Australian species in a new genus Microcitrus, based on morphological features which he said gave "[...] these plants a very different aspect from the commonly cultivated species of Citrus." [8] : 569 However, in a paper published in 1998, British botanist David Mabberley discussed the mix of morphological features present throughout the subtribe Citrineae (genera Clymenia, Eremocitrus, Fortunella, Microcitrus and Poncirus) and the ease with which species can be crossed, and subsequently restored the finger lime to Citrus. [9]
The finger lime is native to the southeastern corner of Queensland and the northeastern corner of New South Wales, from the area around Brisbane to the Clarence River. It grows in coastal rainforest and extends into neighbouring open forest, often on soils derived from basalt. It is favoured by disturbance. [4] [5] [10]
Australian limes |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of December 2024 [update] , this species has been assessed to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and by the Queensland Government under its Nature Conservation Act. [1] [11]
The finger lime is susceptible to a range of insect pests, including scale insects, katydids, larvae of various moths and butterflies, some bugs, grasshoppers and others. [12] : 6 However, it is not a host to the Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni, saving Australian growers the extra burden of treatment before export. [12] : 7
Research conducted since the 1970s indicated that a wild selection of C. australasica was highly resistant to Phytophthora citrophthora root disease, which has resulted in a cross-breeding program with finger lime to develop disease-resistant citrus rootstock. In 2020, researchers began working with C. australasica to develop solutions for Citrus greening disease. [13]
It is thought that for at least 60,000 years, First Peoples living along the east coast of Australia have been eating finger limes.[ citation needed ]
The fruit is high in vitamin C and the skin can be used to heal cuts and wounds.[ citation needed ]
Early settlers consumed the fruit and retained the trees when clearing for agriculture. Colonial botanists suggested that they should be cultivated, due to the lack of citrus alternatives. [14]
The finger lime has been popularised as a gourmet bushfood. [12] The globular juice vesicles (also known as pearls) have been called "lime caviar", [15] [16] and can be used as a garnish or added to various recipes. The fresh vesicles have the effect of a burst of effervescent tangy flavour as they are chewed. The juice is acidic and similar to that of a lime. Marmalade and pickles are also made from finger lime. Finger lime peel can be dried and used as a spice. [6]
Commercial use of finger lime fruit started in the mid-1990s with boutique marmalades made from wild harvested fruit. By 2000 the finger lime was being sold in restaurants, and exported fresh. [6]
The finger lime is grown on a commercial basis in Australia in response to high demand for the fruit. There is an increasing range of genetic selections which are budded onto citrus rootstock. With the sudden high market demand for the fruit the primary source of genetic material for propagation has been selections from wild stock.[ citation needed ]
The CSIRO has also developed several Citrus hybrids by crossing the finger lime with standard Citrus species, creating cultivars which produce finger limes in many different colours ranging from light pink to deep blue-green. Finger lime is thought to have the widest range of colour variation within any Citrus species.[ citation needed ]
Australian limes are species of the plant genus Citrus that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The trifoliate orange, Citrus trifoliata, is a member of the family Rutaceae. Whether the trifoliate oranges should be considered to belong to their own genus, Poncirus, or be included in the genus Citrus is debated. The species is unusual among citrus for having deciduous, compound leaves and pubescent (downy) fruit.
Hymenosporum is a monotypic genus of trees in the family Pittosporaceae. The sole included species is Hymenosporum flavum, commonly known as native frangipani, found in the rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests of New Guinea, Queensland and New South Wales. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the frangipani, but is related to the widespread genus Pittosporum.
Citrus australis, the Dooja, round lime, Australian lime or Australian round lime, is a large shrub or small tree producing an edible fruit. It grows in forest margins in the Beenleigh area and northwards, in Queensland, Australia.
Cordyline manners-suttoniae, commonly known as the giant palm lily, is an evergreen plant found only in rainforest of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Clymenia is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae with two species. The genus is often included in Citrus.
Carnarvonia araliifolia, commonly known as the red oak, red silky oak, Caledonian oak or elephant's foot, is the sole species in the genus Carnarvonia, a member of the Proteaceae family. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Citrus wintersii, the Brown River finger lime, is a shrub native to the Brown River region in Papua-New Guinea. It was previously known as Microcitrus papuana. It has, as the "finger" name suggests, a small, thin fruit, pointed at both ends. It grows near Port Moresby.
Citrus taxonomy is the botanical classification of the species, varieties, cultivars, and graft hybrids within the genus Citrus and related genera, found in cultivation and in the wild.
Hypserpa laurina is a slender twining climber in the plant family Menispermaceae. It is native to New Guinea and northeastern Queensland in Australia.
Xanthophyllum octandrum, commonly known as Macintyre's boxwood, false jitta, yellow boxwood or sovereignwood, is a slow-growing tree in the milkwort family Polygalaceae which has the potential to reach thousands of years of age. It is endemic to coastal northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Archidendron vaillantii, commonly known as the salmon bean, is an evergreen tree in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeast Queensland.
Benstonea monticola, commonly known as scrub breadfruit or urchin-fruited pandan, is a plant in the family Pandanaceae which is endemic to rainforested parts of north east Queensland, Australia.
Fagraea fagraeacea, commonly known as yellowheart or pink jitta, is a plant in the gentian family Gentianaceae which is native to New Guinea and Queensland.
Atractocarpus sessilis, commonly known as brown randia, is an evergreen shrub in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to both Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Tetracera daemeliana, commonly known as large-leaved fire vine, is a vine in the guinea flower family Dilleniaceae first described in 1886, which is endemic to the northern half of Queensland, Australia. The flowers are pleasantly perfumed.
Gillbeea adenopetala, commonly known as Pink alder, is an evergreen tree in the largely southern hemisphere family Cunoniaceae. It was first described in 1865 and is endemic to a small part of Queensland, Australia.
Cupaniopsis foveolata, commonly known as narrow-leaved tuckeroo, white tamarind or toothed tuckeroo, is a plant in the maple and lychee family Sapindaceae found in eastern Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
Larsenaikia ochreata, commonly known as Wenlock gardenia, scented Gardenia bush or wild Gardenia, is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae endemic to Queensland, Australia.
Balanops australiana, commonly known as pimplebark, is a plant in the family Balanopaceae found only in the coastal regions of northern and central Queensland, Australia.