Citrus fruits with familiar shapes and sizes, including grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, pomelo & tangelo. The 2 Citrus species discussed on this page have very unfamiliar shapes. They are on the botanical garden campus of Palomar College.

Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis is an unusual shaped citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections. Buddha's Hand ripens in the winter months. When it first comes into season, the hand is closed, and the fingers look like the tentacles of an anemone. As the fruit matures, the hand spirals out like an octopus. The following is from Wikipedia (accessed 9 Jan. 2020): "The different cultivars and variations of this citron variety form a gradient from "open-hand" types with outward-splayed segments to "closed-hand" types, in which the fingers are kept together. There are also half-fingered fruits, in which the basal side is united and the apical side fingered. The origin of this kind of citron is commonly traced back to the Far East, probably northeastern India or China, where most domesticated citrus fruits originate. The fruit has long been prized in East Asia because it symbolizes happiness and longevity, and it's often given as an offering in temples and served during Lunar New Year."

Buddha's hand fruit is very fragrant and is used predominantly in China, Malaysia and Japan for perfuming rooms and personal items such as clothing. Unlike other citrus fruits, most varieties of the Buddha's hand fruit contain no pulp or juice. Though esteemed chiefly for its "exquisite form and aroma", the Buddha’s hand fruit can also be eaten (often as a zest or flavouring) in desserts, savory dishes and alcoholic beverages (such as vodka) or candied as a sweet. The sliced, dried peel of immature fruits is also prescribed as a tonic in traditional medicine.

Citrus australasica, the Australian finger lime or caviar lime, is a thorny understory shrub or small tree of lowland subtropical rainforest and rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It has edible fruits which are under development as a commercial crop. It has been grown on a commercial basis in Australia in response to high demand for the fruit. Commercial use of finger lime fruit started in the mid-1990s with boutique marmalades made from wild harvested fruit. By 2000 the finger lime was being sold in restaurants, and exported fresh. There is an increasing range of genetic selections which are budded onto citrus rootstock. With the sudden high market demand for the fruit, the primary source of genetic material for propagation has been selections from wild stock.

The globular juice vesicles (also known as pearls) have been compared with a "lime caviar", which can be used as a garnish or added to various recipes. The fresh vesicles have the effect of a burst of effervescent tangy flavor as they are chewed. The fruit juice is acidic and similar to that of a lime. Marmalade and pickles are also made from finger lime. Finger lime peel can be dried and used as a flavoring spice

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