Amaranthine Lime Tree

This giant fruit tree grows up to 50 feet (15.2 meters) tall and lives for up to 45 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 46 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has a flexible, crooked trunk covered in hard, waxy, light gray bark, and inside, the very dense wood is pale brown.

The small bunches of branches are very short and slender and are covered with sparse amounts of small, teardrop-shaped leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are cyan and pink.

In early spring, it produces hundreds of large, amber blossoms with spiral petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They detach easily and have a delicate scent that smells like honeysuckle.

In late summer it produces tiny, perforated fruit. The fuzzy slate skin is thick and edible when cooked; it is spicy and salty, and the crunchy lime flesh is spicy and savoury and sticky. The beige seed is large and is in the centre of the fruit.

The roots are long and grow straight down, and overall the tree is rigid and weak, and breaks apart easily.

Forests of this species feature well-spaced trees, with patches of undergrowth between them.