Blood limes are a hybrid citrus fruit

Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...

 developed by the CSIRO project to investigate salt-resistant crops. While the limes

Lime (fruit)

Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...

 proved unsuitable for high-salt conditions, they have seen some commercial development; the first commercial crop appeared in markets in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 in July 2004, and are under consideration for export.

The blood lime is smaller than most limes, approximately 4 cm long by 2 cm diameter, and somewhat sweeter than the standard.

The blood lime is a cross between the red finger lime (Citrus australasica var. sanguinea) and the Ellendale Mandarin. The Ellendale Mandarin is an orange/mandarin hybrid. The tree may be planted as an ornamental tree.