The Perrine Lemon/Lime
Sometimes a single flaw will doom a splendid fruit to neglect. Such was the case with the Perrine Lemon-Lime, a fruit with the round beauty of a Meyer Lemon and the sprightly acid of a lime.
A cross between the Genoa Lemon and the West Indian Lime performed by USDA pomologist Walter Swingle in 1909, the Perrine honored the work of pioneer Florida pomologist Dr. Henry Perrine, who popularized the Key Lime. It was moderate sized, roundish, and sometimes bulgy; the rind was bright yellow rind touched with a vernal tinge. Its flavor tended more to the lime in its acidity. The Perrine's popularity as a market variety took place after its exhibition at the 1931 meeting of the Florida Horticultural Society. USDA PI# 539205.
Despite its attractive appearance and taste, the Perrine suffered from a liability that prevented its becoming a major market variety--its lack of cold tolerance. During the 1930s, it was planted in South Florida in place of West Indian limes. But cold spells in the 1930s killed most of the Perrine groves. As the climate of southern Florida warms, it may be time to consider its reintroduction into American citrus groves.