Rangpur

Citrus × limonia is cultivated as an ornamental tree for planting in gardens and a container plant on patios and terraces in the United States. Outside the U.S. it is used principally as a citrus rootstock.

The Rangpur lime (Citrus × limonia) originated in South Asia and was later introduced to the West. Although often mistaken for a lemon hybrid, genomic studies reveal that it is actually an F1 hybrid of a female citron (Citrus medica) and a male mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata). The fruit was widely cultivated in Rangpur, Bangladesh, where it became well known for its sour, lime-like flavor despite its orange skin. In the late nineteenth century, the Reasoner Brothers of Oneco, Florida, introduced the Rangpur lime to the United States, after obtaining seeds from northwestern Bangladesh. Since then, it has been grown not only for its culinary uses but also as a hardy rootstock for grafting other citrus varieties, spreading its influence far beyond its Bangladeshi roots.