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lime, in botany, small shrublike tree (Citrus aurantifolia) of the family Rutaceae (rue family), one of the citrus fruit trees, similar to the lemon but more spreading and irregular in growth. It is native to SE Asia and has been introduced into S Europe, the West Indies, Mexico, and Florida. Chief production is in tropical regions of the Old and New World; most American limes come from the West Indies or Mexico. The lime is the most susceptible to frost injury of all citrus fruits; this confines its commercial culture in the United States to the southernmost parts of Florida. Here some of the varieties often do well in sandy or rocky soils : conditions usually unfavorable to most citrus fruits. The bright green fruit is smaller than the lemon, more globular, more acid, and with a thinner rind. It has the vitamin value and other properties of the citrus fruits. The juice has long been known as a preventive against scurvy and is one of the main sources of citric acid. The name lime is also applied to the linden and sometimes to a species of tupelo, or sour gum, known also as the Ogeechee lime. Limes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
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