Rank Species | Genus Zanthoxylum Higher classification Zanthoxylum | |
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Similar Zanthoxylum, Rutaceae, Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, Zanthoxylum americanum, Zanthoxylum clava‑herculis | ||
Zanthoxylum fagara or wild lime, is a species of flowering plant that, despite its name, is not actually in the citrus genus with real limes and other fruit, but is a close cousin in the larger citrus family, Rutaceae. It is native to southern Florida and Texas in the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America as far south as Paraguay. Common names include lime prickly-ash, wild lime, colima, uña de gato, and corriosa.
Description
It is a spreading shrub or small tree growing to 7 m (23 ft) tall. The trunk is generally rough with gray bark and grows to about 0.25 m (0.82 ft) in diameter. The irregularly-shaped branches contain hooked spines with pinnate 5 cm (2.0 in) leaves. The leaves and bark can be crushed to make a bitter-tasting condiment, and much of the tree smells similar to citrus. Lime prickly-ash has a high drought tolerance and grows best in full sun, but it can also survive as an understory shrub. It provides significant food and cover for native wildlife and the leaves host the larvae of many butterflies, such as the giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).
