A   lime   is a   citrous fruit   fruit , which is round ,   lime fleeceable   in colour , 1 - 3 in diam , and contains   acidic   juice vesicles . birdlime fruits make their way into numberless solid food and potable as a flavoring agent , and birdlime essential oils are used in the preparation of many household merchandise . The two commonly recognized lime tree mintage : Tahitian limes ( Citrus latifoila ) and Mexican limes ( Citrus aurantifolia ) .

Tahitian slaked lime are so - called because they primitively came to California via Tahiti , but they are thought to have grow in the Middle East — the reason they also are known as Persian linden . In nurseries , they ordinarily are found with the recording label “ Bearss ” limes , though “ Bearss ” is not agnize by botanists as a distinct cultivar . Mexican limes are also known as West Amerindic limes and Key limes , as a character reference to their first U.S. commercial-grade plantings in the Florida Keys .

The small , rotund lime fruits ordinarily seen in foodstuff stores and used extensively by barkeeper are from the Mexican variety of lime tree . The fruits are picked greenish when they are between 1 and 2 inches in diam , and they have a needlelike , more acid tang than Tahitian linden fruits . Tahitian lime fruits are the size and form of lemon fruits and usually are picked when yellow . They rarely are seen on grocery storehouse shelf because they are so easy confused with lemons , but they are processed into lime product , such as the filling for central basswood pie .

Limes are utilized as a flavoring for both raw and prepare applications and add an acid , flowered complexness to dishes . unremarkably juiced or zested and are used in marinade for Pisces , crustacean , and shellfish , blended into binding and vinaigrettes for salads , whisked into beurre blanc or butter sauce to top over vegetables and cooked meats , and squeeze as a cease element over Asian noodle dishes and ado - fries . The juice can also be meld into fruit drink , blended into sirup , or steep into alcohol such as rum .

Types of Limes

Key Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)

Characteristics :

Persian Lime (Citrus × latifolia)

Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix)

Finger Lime (Citrus australasica)

Desert Lime (Citrus glauca)

Palestine Sweet Lime (Citrus limettioides)

Mexican Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)

Calamansi (Citrus × microcarpa)

Tahiti Lime (Citrus × latifolia)

Blood Lime (Citrus australasica × Citrus australis)

Mandarin Lime (Citrus limonia)

Rangpur Lime (Citrus × limonia)

Bearss Lime (Citrus × latifolia)

Wild Lime (Adelia ricinella)

Limequat (Citrus × floridana)

Sweet Lime (Citrus limetta)

Tahiti Red Lime (Citrus × latifolia)

Phillipine Lime (Citrus microcarpa)

Faustrime (Citrus australasica × Citrus aurantiifolia)

Makati Lime (Citrus macrophylla)

Kaghzi Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)

Omani Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)

Trifoliate Lime (Citrus trifoliata)

Mexican Thornless Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)

Florentine Lime (Citrus limetta var. florentina)

Bitter Lime (Citrus amblycarpa)