Kaffi r lime is a member of the genus Citrus, family Rutaceae and order Sapindales.
This genus comprises about 16 species of evergreen trees and shrubs that have
perfumed fl owers and characteristic aromatic fruits (Bown, 2002). The scientifi c
name of kaffi r lime is Citrus hystrix DC. A few other common names are ‘kieffer
lime’, ‘leech lime’ and ‘makrut’ (Thai). Several other vernacular names are given to
the fruit throughout South East Asia, the region to which the plant is said to be
native. These are ‘jeruk purut’ (Indonesia), ‘juuk purut’ (Bali) and ‘limau purut’
(Malaysia). The term ‘kaffi r’ is believed to have originated hundreds of years ago
and is found in several languages. In Arabic, it means ‘infi del’, coming from the word
‘kafara’. It is stated in an Anglo-Indian Dictionary (Whitworth, 1885) that not only
was the term applied by Muslims to unbelievers, but that it is a common term of
abuse in Western India. In South Africa, it was once used by the white immigrants
to refer to the native Africans.