Lime prickly-ash
StarZanthoxylum fagara
Synonyms: Schinus fagara, Fagara fagara, Pterota fagara, Fagaras fagara
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
The Mikasuki Seminole used the wood of Zanthoxylum fagara to make bows and arrows (Sturtevant, 1954). In Mexican and Caribbean folk medicine the bark and leaves have been chewed or prepared as decoctions to relieve toothache and oral pain, reflecting the genus-wide presence of pungent, salivation-inducing alkylamides such as those known from prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum americanum).
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Botanical Description
Zanthoxylum fagara, the lime prickly-ash or wild lime, is a small evergreen tree or large shrub in the Rutaceae family native to the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America to Argentina. Plants typically reach 3 to 9 metres in height with slender, much-branched stems armed with sharp, hooked, catclaw-like prickles. The alternate, pinnately compound leaves bear 5 to 13 small, glossy, ovate to obovate leaflets along a narrowly winged rachis; crushed foliage releases a strong citrus aroma from translucent oil glands. The small, greenish yellow, unisexual flowers are borne in short axillary clusters and produce reddish brown follicular fruits about 4 millimetres across that split to release shiny black seeds. The species is dioecious, drought tolerant, and a characteristic component of subtropical thornscrub and dry coastal forest.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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