Hi folks,
I posted a similar note to this on a different forum several years ago, and was soundly insulted and told where to go and what I could do with myself. So I gave up there.

I'm not generally a totally "politically correct" person, and I think some racial/cultural/credal/other restrictions on our lives and our language, in order not to insult someone, are just silly.

HOWEVER, I realize that among citrus growers, especially in North America and Europe, there is a word that is used commonly, and most of us don't know anything about its other connotations. So just for your info, if you would like to be at least a bit sensitive to feelings -- the word K*ffir (which I can't even bring myself to spell out), the common name for Citrus hystrix, is perhaps the deepest, darkest insult one can use against a native African in southern Africa. Like the "N" word in the US, but far, far, more deeply evil and despised. In some areas, you can be arrested for saying it; nearly anywhere you can at least get your teeth punched out.

So as I write this from Angola, I'm reminded that I've been meaning to post such a note for quite a while. Please at least consider it.

Malcolm

I've always known it as the Thai Lime.
Seems an appropriate common name as it's frequently used in Thai cooking, and has been grown there for a long time. The Citrus Industry Vol 1 (1st Edition) says it is widely grown throughout the "east indies", which includes present-day Thailand. It has no particular connection with Africa.

I like "Thai lime" as a name. I wonder how it ever picked up the other name, and why we use it? Thai is descriptive and non-insulting to anyone. I think I'll start using it!

Be careful, We don't know what "Thai" means in all the languages of the world!

The Thai name for Hystrix is "makruut", pronunced a bit like mac-root.
It also has it's own many names in the languages of other S.E Asian countries, and even a name in the different ethnic languages of each modern "country". C. hystrix is a widespread and widely used plant.

here is a link to "sorting citrus names", scroll down to hystrix,
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/new/Citrus_1.html

I have read that the word kaffir ( non believer ) came from Arabic traders??

The trouble with using the name 'thai lime' , is that when you google search, you will often get a quarry or cement company in Bankok !

Is there an African connection to C.hystrix ?? It is also sometimes called the Mauritius papeda. Interestingly it seems that ancient Indonesian travellers went back across the ocean to settle in coastal East Africa, including bringing their crops with them. Apparently Madagascar is heavily influenced by S.E Asian factors. Mauritius was later settled by people from Madagascar,(also India,China,Africa) under colonial influence.

Perhaps here is a classic case where a plant with so many local names really needs it's scientific name Citrus hystrix for clarity.

I remember Dr. Manners posting much the same post on the Garden Web 4 or 5 years ago. I don't grow the tree, so I almost never refer to it. My motto has become, "If you can't eat it, don't grow it". Therefore, some time back I tossed out most all of my cold hardy and Australian varieties. - Millet (947-)

Funny, I've gone in almost the other direction from Millet.
If I can buy it cheaper and sweeter and with less effort from my local store, why bother? So, I've concentrated on unusual and little-known species and varieties that are often ornamental but can taste awful!

Getting back to the Thai Lime - I liked the idea of finding Bankok cement works, but my googling produced only citrus references.

Has anyone studied different varieties of Citrus hystrix? My plants produce round fruits with a uniformly rough surface. But some imported fruits I have seen, were incredibly warty, bumpy and indented. Is this due to growing conditions or are there different selections?

Mike aka Citrange

There are 3 C.hystrix vars available thru the Australian budwood scheme
Malay: thorny at first, but thorns reduce with age
Nathaniel:ex Darwin, very short thorns, big leaves
Eyles: supposed to have large leaves
There also seem to be a few others about in the North Aust. tropical areas.
Imported packaged frozen fruit was available, and these were very variable in size and shape and skin texture. I guess they were a mix from different trees ?
I have heard that seedling propagation is more common than grafting in Thailand, so perhaps that explains the variation ?