Japanese name: ライム Scientific name:Citrus aurantiifolia
[Overview]
An evergreen tree cultivated as a fruit tree.
It is broadly divided into the sour lime, which is strongly acidic, and the sweet lime, which is less acidic.
The alternate leaves look simple, but they are reduced compound leaves; they are entire and leathery.
The flowers are white and fragrant.
Many stamens are fused up to the middle of the filaments, forming a staminal tube.
The shape and scent of the fruit resemble those of the lemon.
[Uses]
It is often drunk as lime juice, and the juice is also used in cooking.
[Cultivation]
In Japan, it also grows outdoors in Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands.
It is a food plant of the swallowtail butterfly.
