Citrus aurantifolia: common lime, Egyptian lime, Indian lime, key lime, lime, Mexican lime, sour lime, sweetie

Common Names:

in English: common lime, Egyptian lime, Indian lime, key lime, lime, Mexican lime, sour lime, sweetie

in Dominica: siton

in Mexico: guela xtilla, quella castilla, yaga lima

in Cambodia: krôôch chhmaa muul

in India: brhatjambirah, cherunaarangi, elemichcham, elumiccai, elumiccam palam, elumichai, elumichchan chaaru, elumitchanarakam, gaja nimbe, gajanimma, godnimbu, hulinimbe, ilimichai, imbe, jambira, kagadi-limbu, kaghzinimbu, kaghzinimbu, kagzi nimboo, kagzi nimbu, kagzinimbu, khatta, kiccilippalam, kich chilip-pazham, leemu kaghzi, limbe, limbu, limbu chhilka, limbuphool saitrif, limpaka, madhu-karkatika, mitha-amritphal, musumbi, nagranga, narattai, nembu, nimbu, nimbuka, nimma, nimma pandu, palam, sakernimbu, sertawk, sokola tenga, swadunaringa, swalpa jambira, vatukappulinarakam, vijapura

in Indonesia: assam tipes, djeruk nipis, jeruk nipis, jeruk

pecel, jeruk tipes, limau kapas

in Laos: mak nao, naaw

in Lepcha: kacha koong

in Malaysia: limau asam, limau kapas, limau nipis

in Nepal: kagati

in Pakistan: kaghzi nimboo

in Papua New Guinea: muli

in Philippines: dayap

in Thailand: kroi cha maa, lee maa nee pee, ma nao, ma no

kleh, maak faa, manao, pa no ken, pa nong kon la yaan, som

ma naao, somma nao

in Vietnam: chanh, chanh ta

in Congo: londjimo, malimbungo, n’ndjimo

in Madagascar: voangindolo

in Sierra Leone: dumbele, lem, ma roks

in Tanzania: msuza

in Yoruba: ewe ilemu, ewe oronbo, gan-in gan-in wewe, ilemu, orombo wewe, osan gingin, osan wewe, wewe

Floral Description:

Spiny bush or tree, 2-3 m tall, spines short and sharp. Leaves 30-60 x 10-38 mm, elliptic-oblong, crenate; petiole narrowly winged. Flowers 3-10, perfect and staminate, white. Calyx cupular, fleshy. Fruit ovoid or rounded, 25-50 mm in diameter, shortly mamillate; greenish-yellow when ripe, pulp greenish, very acid.

Chemical Constitutes

6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 4(10)-Thujene, Kaempferol 3-[6''-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl)glucoside], Kaempferol 3-[6''-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl)glucoside]-7-glucoside, 2-Phenylethanol, 2,6-Dimethyl-1,3,5,7-octatetraene, 2-Methylfuran, 1,8-Cineole, alpha-Thujene, (-)-Jasmonic acid, Hexanal, Isopimpinellin, alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, Limonene, Myrcene, Nerol, Terpinolene, Indole, Xanthyletin, (E)-Citral, p-Cymene, p-Cymene, Linaloyl acetate, alpha-Terpinene, gamma-Terpinene, (E)-Caryophyllene, Copaene, (E)-beta-Farnesene, Nerolidol, Isosinensetin, beta-Bisabolene, Cyclohexane, (+-)-Pinol, delta-Elemene, Ethanol, Calamenene, alpha-trans-Bergamotene, Benzaldehyde, Methyl anthranilate, (E)-Ocimene, Citronellal, Curcumene, (Z)-Ocimene, Acetone, Allo-Ocimene, alpha-Bergamotene, alpha-Myrcene, Benzene acetonitrile, Carvyl acetate, Isopropanol, Methyl acetate, Neo-allo-ocimene, n-Phenylformamide, Methylbenzene, Tetrahydro-2,2-dimethyl-5-(1-methyl-1-propenyl)furan, p-Menth-3-en-1-ol

Activities and Uses

Cardiotonic, laxative, antihelmintic, tonic, aphrodisiac, febrifuge, for dizziness, headache, fevers, diarrhea, dysentery, emetic, sore throat, the treatment of irregular menstrual flow; for coughs, sip lime juice; in alopecia juice of Citrus aurantifolia and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis applied after rubbing the head with the fruit of Tragia involucrata; fruit juice warmed with sugar and taken with aspirin as a contraceptive; unripe fruits tonic, stomachic; whole plant of Euphorbia prostrata powdered together with pepper and a small piece of peel of lime and applied to eczema. Root decoction taken each day during menstruation as a contraceptive; roots and leaves of Cassia occidentalis with roots of Acacia polyacantha and/or Citrus aurantifolia boiled and the filtrate drunk to cure headache, chest and body ache. Leafy twigs decoction of Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Citrus aurantifolia used for cough. Leaves and ginger made into a paste and rubbed on the affected part for rheumatoid arthritis.