Key lime
species of plant, Key lime
The Key lime, also known as West Indian lime, Mexican lime, or Egyptian lime (Citrus × aurantiifolia) is a type of lime. While it is treated as a species in botanical classification, it originated as a natural hybrid between Citrus micrantha (a wild papeda) and Citrus medica (citron).
The Key lime has thinner rind and is smaller, seedier, more acidic, and more aromatic than the Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia). It is valued for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie. The Key lime is not to be confused with bartender's lime or the Omani lime, which are slightly different. The last is classified as a distinct race, with a thicker skin and darker green color. Philippine varieties have various names, including "dayap" and "bilolo".
Etymology
The English word lime was derived, via Spanish then French, from the Arabic word ليمة līma, which is, in turn, a derivation of the Persian word limu لیمو. Key is from Florida Keys, where the fruit was naturalized.
“Key lime” enters the record as species of plant, Key lime. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what lime, species and plant can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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“Key lime” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, lime, species and plant provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q165354. The Library of Congress control number is sh96008907. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Key lime” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.