Citrus glauca: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:20, 13 August 2006

Latest revision as of 20:26, 8 July 2024

(142 intermediate revisions by 72 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{short description|Species of plant}}

'''Citrus glauca''' is also known as '''Desert Lime'''. It is a thorny shrub or small [[tree]] endemic to semi-arid regions of Queensland and New South Wales, [[Australia]].

{{Speciesbox

|image = Citrus glauca fruit.jpg

|genus = Citrus

|species = glauca

|authority = ([[Lindl.]]) [[Isaac Henry Burkill|Burkill]]

|synonyms = *''Atalantia glauca'' <small>([[Lindl.]]) [[Benth.]] & [[Hook.f.]]</small>

*''Atalantia glauca'' var. ''inermis'' <small>[[F.M.Bailey]]</small>

*''Eremocitrus glauca'' <small>([[Lindl.]]) [[Walter Tennyson Swingle|Swingle]]</small>

*''Triphasia glauca'' <small>[[Lindl.]]</small>

|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2724098|title=Citrus glauca (Lindl.) Burkill — The Plant List|access-date=14 May 2015}}</ref>

|}}

[[File:Citrus glauca habit.jpg|thumb|''Citrus glauca'' in the wild]]

'''''Citrus glauca''''', commonly known as the '''desert lime''', is a thorny shrub or small [[tree]] native to [[Queensland]], [[New South Wales]], and [[South Australia]].<ref name="Burkill, Isaac Henry 1932">Burkill, Isaac Henry. 1932. Gardens' Bulletin, Straits Settlements 5 (Index): 3. ''Citrus glauca''.</ref><ref name="heidiwest">[http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/australian.html#australis Citrus pages, Native Australian Citrus, ''Citrus glauca''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323201125/http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/australian.html |date=2014-03-23 }}</ref> The 1889 book ''The Useful Native Plants of Australia'' records the common names native kumquat and desert lemon.<ref name="Maiden">{{cite book | author=J. H. Maiden | year=1889 | title=The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania | publisher= Turner and Henderson, Sydney | url=https://primo-slnsw.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=SLNSW_ALMA21105097830002626&context=L&vid=SLNSW&search_scope=EEA&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==

The desert lime fruit is a highly prized [[bushfood]] used in a range of products, including maramalades, beverages, and glaced fruit. It has a strong lime-like flavour.

{{main|Citrus taxonomy#Australian and New Guinean species}}

Under the [[Walter Tennyson Swingle|Swingle system]], the desert lime was classified in the genus ''Eremocitrus'', a close relative of the genus ''[[Citrus]]''. More recent taxonomy considers all the Australian limes to be included in the genus ''Citrus'', and most authorities treat the desert lime this way. ''Citrus glauca'' is one of the most [[hardiness (plants)|resilient]] ''Citrus'' species, and is comparatively heat, [[drought]], and [[cold hardy citrus|cold tolerant]]. Hence the species is potentially important for ''Citrus'' [[Selective breeding|breeding]] programs, and readily [[hybrid (botany)|hybridises]] with many common ''Citrus'' species.<ref name="citruspages.free.fr"/>

{{clade| style=font-size:100%;line-height:100%

It is wild harvested from surviving bushland areas where it is relatively common. However, ''C. glauca'' has also been extensively cleared from some areas due to agricultural practices.

|label1='''[[Australian limes]]'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://citruspages.free.fr/australian.html#microcitrus|title=Citrus Pages / Native Australian varieties|author=Jorma Koskinen and Sylvain Jousse|work=free.fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711192157/http://citruspages.free.fr/australian.html#microcitrus|archive-date=2015-07-11}}</ref>

|1={{clade

|label1=former ''[[Eremocitrus]]''

|1=''Citrus glauca''

|label2=former ''[[Microcitrus]]''

|2={{clade

|1=''[[Citrus warburgiana]]''

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1=''[[Citrus inodora]]''

|2=''[[Citrus maideniana]]'' }}

|2={{clade

|1=''[[Citrus garrawayi]]''

|2=''[[Citrus australasica]]'' }}

|3=''[[Citrus australis]]''}} }} }} }}

==Description==

Research indicates that ''C. glauca'' is one of the most resilient ''Citrus'' species, being comparatively heat, [[drought]], and cold tolerant. Hence the species is potentially important for ''Citrus'' [[breeding]] programmes.

A shrub or small tree to {{convert|12|m}}, it has several unusual characteristics. It is cold, heat, drought and salinity tolerant and considered to be evergreen. If the rains should fail, it will shed its leaves and survive by the green bark on its branches. It will set fruit almost immediately after flowering and is the earliest citrus to do so. Fruit is small and variable and depends on current climatic conditions and genetic make-up. Thorns appear on low-growing branches to prevent grazing by rabbits, kangaroos, cattle, etc., but cease on branches above the grazing level.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} The fruit is globular, and about half-an-inch in diameter.<ref name="Maiden"></ref> The limes have an intense piquant flavour, and years of good rainfall produce an abundance of fruit.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

==Economic uses==

{{botany-stub}}

The desert lime fruit is a highly prized [[bushfood]]. Traditionally, it is wild-harvested from surviving bushland areas, where it is relatively common. However, ''C. glauca'' has also been extensively cleared from some areas due to the ongoing conversion of the wild bush into agricultural fields.<ref name="ReferenceA">Cherikoff, Vic, ''The Bushfood Handbook'', {{ISBN|0-646-15496-6}}.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">Low, Tim, ''Wild Food Plants of Australia'', {{ISBN|0-207-14383-8}}.</ref> The fruit are used in a range of products, including marmalades, beverages, and [[succade]]. It has a strong lime-like flavour.<ref>Cherikoff, Vic, ''Uniquely Australian'', {{ISBN|0-646-07470-9}}.</ref><ref name="Maiden"></ref>

The fruit is beginning to be domesticated. Commercial cultivation of this fruit is beginning to reduce the reliance on wild-harvested product.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/>

=== Cultivar ===

[[File:CSIRO ScienceImage 3400 The Australian Outback Lime.jpg|thumb|upright|The Australian Outback lime, a selected cultivar]]

The '''Australian Outback lime''' was selected by [[CSIRO]] scientists from the regular desert lime. It is characterised by its upright habit, relatively large, flavoursome fruit, high yield, uniform ripening time, lack of [[thorn (botany)|thorns]], and suitability for mechanical harvesting. The Australian Outback lime was cultivated at the former CSIRO Plant Industry site at [[Merbein, Victoria]] by Steve Sykes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/image/3400|title=The Australian Outback Lime |publisher=CSIRO Science Image |access-date=17 December 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106064415/http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/image/3400 |archive-date=6 January 2018}}</ref>

=== Hybrids ===

[[File:Eremolemon2.jpg|thumb|The eremolemon, a hybrid with ''[[Citrus meyeri]]'']]

The eremolemon is thought to be a natural true-breeding [[Citrus hybrids|hybrid]] between ''Citrus glauca'' and ''[[Citrus meyeri]]''.<ref name="citruspages.free.fr"> It grows quickly and tolerates saline soil.{{cite web|url=http://citruspages.free.fr/australian.html#eremolemon |title=Native varieties from Australia and New Guinea / Eremolemon |website=Citrus Pages |author=Jorma Koskinen and Sylvain Jousse |access-date=17 December 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711192157/http://citruspages.free.fr/australian.html#eremolemon |archive-date=11 July 2015}}</ref>

''[[Citrus]]'' plants [[citrus taxonomy|hybridise readily]], other hybrids include eremoranges, eremoradias (hybrid with a [[sour orange]]) and citrangeremos (hybrid with a [[citrange]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://citruspages.free.fr/australian.html#eremocitrus|title=Native varieties from Australia and New Guinea / The citrus types previously known as ''Eremocitrus'' |website=Citrus Pages |author=Jorma Koskinen and Sylvain Jousse|access-date=17 December 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711192157/http://citruspages.free.fr/australian.html#eremocitrus |archive-date=11 July 2015}}</ref>

==Notes==

{{Reflist}}

==References==

* Bruneteau, Jean-Paul, ''Tukka, Real Australian Food'', {{ISBN|0-207-18966-8}}.

* Cherikoff, Vic, ''The Dining Downunder Cookbook'', {{ISBN|0-9752021-0-3}}.

==External links==

*{{cite web |title=''Citrus glauca'' (Lindl.) Burkill |work=Atlas of Living Australia |url=https://bie.ala.org.au/species/http://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2919253}}

{{Commonscat}}

{{citrus}}

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q50839729|from2=Q144618}}

[[Category:Australian cuisine]]

[[Category:Bushfood]]

[[Category:Limes (fruit)|glauca]]

[[Category:Crops originating from Australia]]

[[Category:Desert fruits]]

[[Category:Drought-tolerant trees]]

[[Category:Flora of New South Wales]]

[[Category:Flora of Queensland]]

[[Category:Flora of South Australia]]

[[Category:Sapindales of Australia]]

[[Category:Trees of Australia]]

[[Category:Citrus|glauca]]