The plant is 2–7 m (6 ft 7 in – 23 ft 0 in) in height. The leaves are small, 1–6 cm (0.39–2.36 in) long and 3–25 mm (0.12–0.98 in) wide, glabrous, with a notched tip and crenate towards the apex. Flowers are white with petals 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long. The fruit is cylindrical, 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) long, sometimes slightly curved, coming in different colours, including pink and green.[2]
Cultivation and uses
History
Early settlers consumed the fruit[4] and retained the trees when clearing for agriculture. Colonial botanists suggested that they should be cultivated, due to the lack of citrus alternatives.[4]
Rising demand
Red finger lime with juice vesicles partially extracted
The finger lime has been recently[when?] popularised as a gourmet bushfood. The globular juice vesicles (also known as pearls) have been likened to a "lime caviar",[5][6] which 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 fruit 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 flavouring spice.[2]
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.[2]
The finger lime has been recently[when?] 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]
In cultivation, the finger lime plant is grown in much the same way as other citrus species. It may be subject to some pests and diseases requiring pest control in cropping situations. This includes scale, caterpillars, gall-wasp, and limb dieback. Fruit fly research has concluded that finger limes are a non-host plant to fruit flies and as such are not a quarantine risk to importing countries.
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.[4][7]
The CSIRO has also developed several Citrus hybrids by crossing the finger lime with standard Citrus species. These hybrids have created many cultivars which generate finger limes in many different colors ranging from light pink to deep blue-green. Finger lime is thought to have the widest range of color variation within any Citrus species. The color of the pulp (juice vesicles) comes in shades of green or pink including pale lime-green, pale pink, coral, and scarlet.
Taxonomy
Historically the finger lime was viewed as a member of the genus Citrus. The Swingle system of taxonomy instead divided the historical true citrus into seven genera, placing the finger lime along with the round lime in a novel genus, Microcitrus.[1] However, subsequent studies have favored a broader concept of Citrus that reunites the genera separated by Swingle, restoring the finger lime to Citrus.
^Allen, Greg (July 27, 2020). "Exotic Australian Fruit May Help Save Florida's Citrus Industry". NPR. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
^Jorma Koskinen and Sylvain Jousse. "Citrus Pages / Native Australian varieties". free.fr.
External links
Media related to Citrus australasica at Wikimedia Commons
"Citrus australasica". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
"Citrus australasica F.Muell". Atlas of Living Australia.
March 17, 2023
citrus, australasica, australian, finger, lime, caviar, lime, thorny, understorey, shrub, small, tree, lowland, subtropical, rainforest, rainforest, coastal, border, region, queensland, south, wales, australia, australian, finger, limegreen, skin, type, finger. Citrus australasica the Australian finger lime or caviar lime is a thorny understorey shrub or small tree of lowland subtropical rainforest and rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales Australia Australian finger limeGreen skin type finger limeScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade RosidsOrder SapindalesFamily RutaceaeGenus CitrusSpecies C australasicaBinomial nameCitrus australasicaF Muell Synonyms 1 Citrus australasica var sanguinea F M Bailey Microcitrus australasica F Muell SwingleIt has edible fruits which are under development as a commercially sold crop 2 3 Contents 1 Description 2 Cultivation and uses 2 1 History 2 2 Rising demand 2 3 Diseases 3 Taxonomy 4 References 5 External linksDescription EditThe plant is 2 7 m 6 ft 7 in 23 ft 0 in in height The leaves are small 1 6 cm 0 39 2 36 in long and 3 25 mm 0 12 0 98 in wide glabrous with a notched tip and crenate towards the apex Flowers are white with petals 6 9 mm 0 24 0 35 in long The fruit is cylindrical 4 8 cm 1 6 3 1 in long sometimes slightly curved coming in different colours including pink and green 2 Cultivation and uses EditHistory Edit Early settlers consumed the fruit 4 and retained the trees when clearing for agriculture Colonial botanists suggested that they should be cultivated due to the lack of citrus alternatives 4 Rising demand Edit Red finger lime with juice vesicles partially extracted The finger lime has been recently when popularised as a gourmet bushfood The globular juice vesicles also known as pearls have been likened to a lime caviar 5 6 which 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 fruit 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 flavouring spice 2 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 2 The finger lime has been recently when 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 Diseases Edit Two red finger limes shown next to an Australian ten cent coin 23 mm 0 91 in diameter In cultivation the finger lime plant is grown in much the same way as other citrus species It may be subject to some pests and diseases requiring pest control in cropping situations This includes scale caterpillars gall wasp and limb dieback Fruit fly research has concluded that finger limes are a non host plant to fruit flies and as such are not a quarantine risk to importing countries 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 4 7 The CSIRO has also developed several Citrus hybrids by crossing the finger lime with standard Citrus species These hybrids have created many cultivars which generate finger limes in many different colors ranging from light pink to deep blue green Finger lime is thought to have the widest range of color variation within any Citrus species The color of the pulp juice vesicles comes in shades of green or pink including pale lime green pale pink coral and scarlet Taxonomy EditHistorically the finger lime was viewed as a member of the genus Citrus The Swingle system of taxonomy instead divided the historical true citrus into seven genera placing the finger lime along with the round lime in a novel genus Microcitrus 1 However subsequent studies have favored a broader concept of Citrus that reunites the genera separated by Swingle restoring the finger lime to Citrus Australian limes former Eremocitrus Citrus glaucaformer Microcitrus Citrus warburgianaCitrus inodoraCitrus maidenianaCitrus garrawayiCitrus australasicaCitrus australis 8 References Edit a b Citrus australasica F Muell The Plant List www theplantlist org a b c d Citrus pages Native Australian Citrus Citrus australasica users kymp net Mueller Ferdinand von April 2 1858 Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae Vol v 1 1858 59 Auctoritate Gubern Coloniae Victoriae Ex Officina Joannis Ferres a b c Low Tim Wild Food Plants of Australia ISBN 0207143838 page needed Karp David 23 December 2009 Finger lime the caviar of citrus Los Angeles Times via LA Times Star Tamborine Mountain Daily Nature s Little Pearls The Exotic Finger Lime www tamborine daily star com Retrieved 2018 06 25 Allen Greg July 27 2020 Exotic Australian Fruit May Help Save Florida s Citrus Industry NPR Retrieved 28 July 2020 Jorma Koskinen and Sylvain Jousse Citrus Pages Native Australian varieties free fr External links Edit Media related to Citrus australasica at Wikimedia Commons Citrus australasica Australian Plant Name Index APNI IBIS database Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian Government Retrieved 9 January 2014 Citrus australasica F Muell Atlas of Living Australia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Citrus australasica amp oldid 1125251723, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
