Blood lime facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blood lime |
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Blood limes
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| Hybrid parentage | Citrus australasica var. sanguinea x 'Ellendale Mandarin' hybrid |
| Origin | Australia |
Blood limes (or 'Australian Blood Lime') are a hybrid citrus fruit developed by the CSIRO project to investigate salt-resistant crops.
While the limes proved suitable for high-salt conditions, they have seen no commercial development; the first commercial crop appeared in markets in Australia in July 2004, and are under consideration for export.
The blood lime is smaller than most limes, approximately 4 cm (1.6 in) long by 2 cm (0.79 in) diameter, and somewhat more sweet than the standard. It is egg-shaped in the winter. The flesh inside a blood lime is composed of red-orange vesicles. The skin can be eaten with the fruit. It is usually red or burgundy, but can sometimes be green like the standard lime.
The blood lime is a cross between the red finger lime (Citrus australasica var. sanguinea) and the 'Ellendale Mandarin' hybrid. The Ellendale is a sweet orange/mandarin cross. The medium-sized trees, which have thorns, may be used as ornamental plants.
