Short answers, pulled from the story.
The lime is not a single species but a chaotic family of hybrids, with the Persian lime being a cross between a Key lime and a lemon. True limes do not exist as a distinct group but rather as a collection of man-made and natural mixtures derived from citron, mandarin, and pomelo ancestors.
The lime fruit originated in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and South Asia, where it was one of the earliest citrus fruits to be domesticated by humans. The Makrut lime traveled with the Austronesian expansion between 3000 and 1500 BCE to reach the islands of Micronesia and Polynesia, and by at least 1200 BCE, the fruit had made its way into the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
During the 19th century, the lime fruit saved thousands of British sailors from the deadly disease known as scurvy. The effectiveness of the lime juice in preventing scurvy was so well known among the British fleet that it earned the sailors the derogatory nickname limey, a term that persists to this day.
In 2023, the world produced 23.6 million tonnes of limes combined with lemons, with India and Mexico leading global production. The Persian lime is the most widely produced variety due to its large size and near seedlessness, and most varieties are picked while still green to ensure the strongest flavor and acidity.
Lime juice is the key ingredient in limeade, margaritas, gimbals, and daiquiris, while the zest is used to add aroma to dishes ranging from ceviche to guacamole. In the Middle East, dried limes known as limoo or black lime are a staple in spice blends, and lime extracts and essential oils find their way into perfumes, cleaning products, and aromatherapy treatments.
Contact with lime peel or juice followed by exposure to ultraviolet light can cause phytophotodermatitis, a condition sometimes called margarita photodermatitis. This reaction is caused by furanocoumarins, including bergapten, limettin, psoralen, and xanthotoxin, which are present in higher concentrations in the peel than in the pulp.