Indian sweet lime

Description

Citrus limettioides, Palestinian sweet lime or Indian sweet lime or common sweet lime, alternatively considered a cultivar of Citrus × limon, C. × limon 'Indian Lime',is a low-acid lime used in Palestine for food, juice and rootstock. It is a member of the sweet limes. Like the Meyer lemon, it is the result of a cross between the citron (Citrus medica) and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid distinct from sweet and sour oranges. It is distinct from the limetta which is sometimes also called sweet lime, but derives from a citron/sour orange cross. Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus Citrus is native to South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Australia. Various citrus species have been used and domesticated by indigenous cultures in these areas since ancient times. From there its cultivation spread into Micronesia and Polynesia by the Austronesian expansion (c. 3000–1500 BCE); and to the Middle East and the Mediterranean (c. 1200 BCE) via the incense trade route, and onwards to Europe and the Americas.