Eremocitrus glauca
| Eremocitrus glauca | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Eremocitrus glauca [1] |
| Common names | Desert lime; native kumquat; desert lemon [2][3] |
| Genus | Eremocitrus |
| Family | Rutaceae |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Native range | Inland New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia [2] |
| Growth form | Medium shrub or small tree |
| Mature size | Generally 3–7 m [2] |
| Fruit | Greenish-yellow globular fruit, about 15 mm across [2] |
| Flowering | Late winter and spring [2] |
| Propagation | Seed; grafting or budding onto citrus stocks has apparently succeeded [2] |
Eremocitrus glauca is an inland Australian citrus with the common names desert lime, native kumquat, and desert lemon. GBIF uses Eremocitrus glauca as the accepted usage, while Citrus glauca remains a widely used synonym and horticultural name. The plant is a medium shrub or small tree of semi-arid and arid parts of New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia.[1][2][3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The plant generally grows 3–7 m tall. It has grey-green, narrow leaves up to about 50 mm long and 5 mm wide, irregular spines, and white or greenish flowers about 10 mm across. Flowering occurs in late winter and spring. The edible fruit is greenish-yellow, globular, and about 15 mm across.[2]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
Desert lime occurs on heavy clay soils in semi-arid and arid inland districts. It can be cultivated inland, while wetter major population centres are described as generally unsuitable. A habitat-based cultivation inference is to accept a clay soil where drainage is adequate, but avoid a persistently waterlogged root zone; this is an inference from the plant’s inland dryland setting rather than a measured soil threshold.[2]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
The native setting is inland semi-arid and arid country rather than a persistently humid coastal environment. A habitat-based cultivation inference is to begin with a bright, open position and good airflow, especially after establishment, while protecting young plants from abrupt exposure. The source’s regional warning does not establish a universal humidity limit.[2]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The plant’s natural climate has a strong dryland character, and flowering is described for late winter and spring. A habitat-based cultivation inference is to water consistently while a plant establishes, then reduce supplemental irrigation when seasonal rainfall and root-zone moisture are adequate; no fixed irrigation calendar or dormancy schedule is established here.[2]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed propagation is documented. Cuttings may be slow to strike. Grafting or budding onto other citrus stocks has apparently succeeded, but the source does not establish a general rootstock, success rate, or timing. The plant has a suckering habit that may require control in cultivation.[2]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
White or greenish flowers about 10 mm across appear in late winter and spring. The resulting fruit is a small, edible, greenish-yellow globe about 15 mm across. A harvest calendar and years-to-first-fruit value are not included because they vary with the plant and site and are not supported by the packet’s species evidence.[2]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
Desert lime fruit is edible and has been used in Australian bushfood products. The fruit is associated with domestication and selection for horticultural production, but traits of named selections should not be generalized to wild plants.[3]
Cultivars and selections[edit | edit source]
The Australian Outback Lime is a CSIRO selection of Citrus glauca. Its recorded selection-specific traits include an upright habit, larger fruit, high yield, uniform ripening, lack of thorns, and suitability for mechanical harvesting. These traits describe that selected form and are not general species characters.[3]
Photos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Citrus glauca fruit.jpg — Citrus glauca fruit and bush; photograph by Mark Marathon; CC BY-SA 3.0. Individual file page. Attribution: Mark Marathon; ShareAlike applies.
- Citrus glauca foliage.jpg — foliage of Citrus glauca; photograph by Mark Marathon; CC BY-SA 3.0. Individual file page. Attribution: Mark Marathon; ShareAlike applies.
- CSIRO ScienceImage 3400 The Australian Outback Lime.jpg — Australian Outback Lime, a selected form of Citrus glauca; photograph by Carl Davies / CSIRO; CC BY 3.0. Individual file page. Attribution: CSIRO / Carl Davies.
