Citrus x aurantiifolia: Uses (Ethnobotany)
In Persian culture it is dried and used in cooking. Leaves are used for headaches and colds. Oil from lime is used in soaps, gum, and sweets.
Plant Profile: Citrus x aurantiifolia
Taxonomy: Citrus x aurantiifoliaNames
Key Lime, Mexican Lime
Phonetic Spelling:SI-trus aw-ran-tee-ah-FOL-lee-uh
Genus:Citrus
Species:aurantifolia
Family:Rutaceae
Key Lime is a man-made hybrid characterized by its thick, uneven branches and deep, shiny green foliage. It cannot endure outdoor conditions during winter and faces challenges in fruit production.
Citrus x aurantiifolia Feature Summary
Citrus x aurantiifolia Image Gallery
Tags
#houseplant
#interiorscape
#evergreen tree
#problem for cats
#problem for dogs
#problem for horses
#tropical feel
Similar Plants
Citrus x aurantiifolia Feature Summary
Attributes
In Persian culture it is dried and used in cooking. Leaves are used for headaches and colds. Oil from lime is used in soaps, gum, and sweets.
Fruit juice is edible and used in drinks, jams and jellies, and baking.
Woody
Fruit
Spherical, green when unripe, yellow when ripe. Seedy, and has a thinner rind than persian lime.
Green
Gold/Yellow
Flowers
5 petaled white fragrant flowers
White
Fragrant
4-5 petals/rays
Poisonous to Humans
Vomiting, diarrhea, depression; potential dermatitis. The fruit is edible, skins and plant material can cause problems.
Essential oils and psoralens
Whole Plant Traits
Edible
Tree
Houseplant
Broadleaf Evergreen
Dense
Irregular
Medium
Spines
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Leaves
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Simple
Entire
Glossy
Stem
Landscape
Container
Patio
Houseplants
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Spines/Thorns
Citrus x aurantiifolia Image Gallery
Citrus x aurantiifolia Attributes
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Edibility
Fruit juice is edible and used in drinks, jams and jellies, and baking.
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Citrus x aurantiifolia Fruit
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Fruit Description
Spherical, green when unripe, yellow when ripe. Seedy, and has a thinner rind than persian lime.
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Fruit Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Citrus x aurantiifolia Flowers
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Flower Description
5 petaled white fragrant flowers
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Flower Color
White
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Citrus x aurantiifolia Poisonous to Humans
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Poison Symptoms
Vomiting, diarrhea, depression; potential dermatitis. The fruit is edible, skins and plant material can cause problems.
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Poison Toxic Principle
Essential oils and psoralens
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Poison Severity
High
Low
Medium
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Causes Contact Dermatitis
No
Yes
Citrus x aurantiifolia Whole Plant Traits
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Appendage
Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns
Citrus x aurantiifolia Cultural Conditions
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Citrus x aurantiifolia Leaves
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Leaf Color
Green
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Citrus x aurantiifolia Stem
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Citrus x aurantiifolia Landscape
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Citrus x aurantiifolia: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
