Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Dooja

(Citrus australis)

galery
en

Description

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. Citrus australis is a tree up to 20 m (66 ft) tall. Fruits are spherical or slightly pear-shaped, 25–50 mm (0.98–1.97 in) across, with a thick green or yellow skin and pale green pulp. The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that "The fruit, which is an inch and a-half in diameter and almost globular, yields an agreeable beverage from its acid juice. A member of the Rutaceae family, Citrus australis is also known as the Australian round lime, Australia sweet, dooja, Gympie lime, native lime, native orange, or the round lime. It is part of the three main types of indigenous limes that can be found in Australia: the first is the Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica), the second is the Australian desert lime (Citrus glauca), and finally the Australian round lime. The citruses can hybridize with other citrus species and develop other characteristics, such as drought resistance, salinity tolerance, and disease resistance. In nature, the tree of the Citrus australis can grow up to be about 20 m (66 ft) feet high.The twigs have angled thorns, and the stems are angled with long internodes. The leaves tend to be elliptic in shape and pointed at the tips, just like the plants themselves. Each of the leaves is usually no bigger than 3 cm × 2 cm (1.18 in × 0.79 in) to 4 cm × 3 cm (1.6 in × 1.2 in) big. The buds bloom to show white or pinkish-white flowers. The fruit has a thick rind and has a yellowish-white pulp. There is about a 1 cm (0.39 in) long, slender spine in the fruit. Only a few seeds can be seen, and multiple thick vesicles, usually six segments of 7 mm (0.28 in), line the outside. The vesicles are usually very firm, are paler in shade, fusiform, and more often than not angular with blunt tips. Many of the Citrus australis found in nature may have twisted vesicles, caused by the pressure of the compression of juice vesicles inside of the fruit. In total, it make take about three years for the plant to bear fruit.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Sapindales
Family:Rutaceae
Genus:Citrus
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