Spanish Lime, Melicoccus bijugatus, also known by many common names including: Honeyberry, Jamaica Bullace Plum, Mamoncillo and Genip, is a large tree, indigenous to tropical parts in the Caribbean and parts of the Americas. Spanish Lime is an evergreen, slow-growing, upright, attractive, fruit bearing tree up to 25 meters tall and with a trunk that can reach 1.7 meters in diameter with smooth, gray bark.

Melicoccus bijugatus leaves are briefly deciduous, alternate, compound, having 4 opposite, elliptic, sharp-pointed leaflets 5-12.5 cm long and 3-6cm wide. The flowers are white, aromatic, in slender elongate clusters along the main stem, 6-10 cm long, frequently bundled in terminal panicles. Flowers are 5-8 mm wide, with 4 petals and 8 stamens.

Male and female flowers are normally borne on separate trees but some trees are partially monecious. In general, the presence of a male tree is needed to pollinate the flowers of trees that are predominantly female. The flowers are rich in nectar and highly attracting to hummingbirds and honeybees.

Spanish Lime Fruit

The fruit clusters of the Spanish Lime are branched, compact and heavy with almost round, green fruits tipped with a small projection, suggesting at first glance small immature limes, but such a resemblance ends here. The skin of the fruit is smooth, thin but leathery. The glossy pulp is yellowish or salmon-colored, semitransparent, jellylike, juicy and somewhat fibrous holding tight to a single, large, yellowish-white, hard-shelled seed.

When fully mature, the pulp is pleasantly acid-sweet and can be consumed out-of-hand. However, most commonly, the peeled fruits are boiled and the resultant juice is used for cold drinks. If the fruit is picked prematurely, the rind turns blackish.

Spanish Lime Propagation Methods

Tree propagation is usually by seed but superior types should be vegetatively reproduced. Air-layering of moderately large branches, at least 5 cm in diameter is successful in the summer and there will be sufficient root development in 5 to 6 weeks. Melicoccus bijugatus is a member of the family Sapindaceae the genus Melicoccus.

The Spanish Lime is not strictly a tropical plant since it ascends up to 1,000 meters above sea-level in South America. It can stand temperatures below 0°C, but grows best in tropical climates. It is a well adapted plant to regions of low rainfall and can tolerate long periods of drought.

Spanish Lime, Melicoccus bijugatus

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