Curious about "Australian Finger Limes"
After the article and picture, by Maurice Kong, were published a bit of "excitement" followed. There were letters where people argued that it wasn't a "finger lime" -- since a finger lime is a citrus, and this certainly wasn't a citrus. If anything it was some sort of Annona.
So Maurice Kong himself wrote a letter that was published in this months "Fruit Gardener". He argued that it is indeed a "finger lime" -- because that is the term that the Australian Aborigines for it. And it is also in the Annonaceae family.
The editor responded with a long slightly defensive footnote -- arguing matters of taxonomy and criticizing Maurice for spelling mistakes and not such....
Of course the original interest in the fruit was caused by the excellent photograph on the back of the December magazine. The picture makes the fruit look very good! And really I don't think that most people care about any spelling mistakes or the correct name. I think that they want to know where they can get it. Like I do!
How about you guys in Australia, are you familiar with this "Meiognes" from an "arid region" in Northern Australia? Maurice Kong said that the seeds were collected by "Michael Ferrero" Does anybody have access to seeds? And remember I'm not asking about the citrus. I'm interested in the Annona. Apparently it has a sort of "apricot" flavor.
The following thread was started by Richard Primbs on March 08, 2009 at 1:13 pm PST
Richard, the fruit, I wanted it too
I noticed it too, and email Ron, the publisher, I think I was the 3rd one to notice it back then. I know Ron was a bit puzzled why the mislabeling.
I knew immediately it was not a finger line, and thought it looked like some kind of annona.
You are correct,, looks good, and being a small fruit, somewhat like an American Paw paw, it looks hardier the say the Cherimoya and etc.
I wanted it right away too, but then did not know what it was or the history and climate data behind it.
It looks and tastes wise, similar to an American Paw Paw.
David
The above followup was added by David Johnson, Waterford CA, zone 14 on March 08, 2009 at 1:33 pm PST.
It's defiantly some kind of citrus. At least what's called a finger lime in Australia is. Makes me wonder just what you saw?
The above followup was added by Jason on March 09, 2009 at 1:56 am PST.
The fruit the Maurice Kong called an "Australian Finger Lime" -- is not the same as the "Australian Finger Lime" citrus. It's a cherimoya, or pawpaw-like fruit that is a mottled red on the outside (shaped like a finger lime) and orange on the inside.
In his letter to the editor Maurice Kong wrote:
"According to Sheryl Backhouse, the Herbarium in Australia could not provide any pertinent information on the fruit nor verify a common name other than it was one of the Meiognes. Neither could the reference book Fruits of Australian Rainforest add any other relevant data except a penciled illustration of this finger lime. For the records, finger lime is not a citrus. It is an Aborigines fruit in the family Annonaceae believed to be extinct or almost extinct. Seeds were given me by the respected Australian horticulturist and plant collector Michael Ferrero whose expertise is well known throughout the tropical fruit and flowering tree world. On one of his fruit collecting trips to the remote arid region in Northern Australia, he collected seeds of this unusual drought tolerant native shrub that fruits in clusters with the shape and size of fingers known by them as finger lime. Since Michael Ferrero is probably the first ever collector in recent times to collect seeds of this Aborigines fruit, many plant collectors would consider this the find of the century."
The above followup was added by Richard Primbs on March 09, 2009 at 9:24 am PST.
Seems like I had posted this on Cloudforest when the supposed mislabeling first happened, but maybe not, I could not find it on my Live Spaces site.
So here it is, if this works, I have not posted pics in awhile, to be sure my site is working ok with this one.
David
The above followup was added by David Johnson, Waterford CA, zone 14 on March 09, 2009 at 9:52 am PST.
Well that's not the "Finger lime" at all. But whatever it is I've never seen or heard of it before :)
If there's only a couple trees of it left in the world I doubt the local Aboriginals have any memory or clue about what it is or what it was called either. So there's one fruiting in California? is that where the picture came from? look after it if that's the case :)
The above followup was added by Jason on March 09, 2009 at 12:37 am PST.
In Australia, as far as one can tell, from what little info is on it, in the Fruit Gardener Magazine. I read it back then, but now the detail eludes me, it may of only been a picture of a fruit on the back page, with no info in the article on it. ????? That seems what I recall.
David
The above followup was added by David Johnson, Waterford CA, zone 14 on March 09, 2009 at 2:18 pm PST.
A relic of Gondwana?
The above followup was added by abiu(.pt) on March 09, 2009 at 4:19 pm PST.
it is an annona polyaulux cylindreocarpum (spelling may be wrong). it is a shrub or small tree from northern australia., taste reminds me of annona senegalensis
The above followup was added by grouchy on March 09, 2009 at 6:34 pm PST.