Scientific classification
 Citrus limun, family of the Rutaceae,
subfamily of the Aurantiodeae, group of the Citrae, subgroup of the Citrinae,
order of the Sapindales, class of the dicotyledons, division angiosperms.
This plant comes from South-East
Asia; the Arabs introduced it in the Mediterranean Countries
around the year 1000.
According to some scholars, the lemon tree is a natural
hybrid of the cedar (Citrus Medica)
and the lime (Citrus Aurantifolia).
The height of a lemon tree varies between 3 and 6 metres. It is a lovely evergreen with many branches, with a
grey cortex and bright leaves, reddish when young and with the hues of green
when old, often elliptical and without stipules. During the vegetative
activity, the leaves are examined to check possible nutritional deficiencies or
vegetative stresses of the plant (leaf exam).
The fruit is ovoid-shaped with umbo at the apex, a
light yellow skin and a yellowish pulp with a very sour taste.
Different typologies of plant exist:
-
Lemon tree with a globose fruit
- Pear-shaped
lemon
- Umbo-less lemon
- Lemon with a ruddy pulp
- Sweet lemon
- Lemon tree with sharp leaves
The lemon tree is very susceptible to cold
temperatures and loses completely its leaves around -4/5° C. If the temperature
drops further, also the cortex risks to be damaged.
Flowers and fruit can resist up to -2° C. The plants
are very susceptible to the wind, too.
The fruit of the lemon tree do not require high
temperatures to reach total ripeness. In periods of great drought a constant
irrigation is necessary; anyway, the tree grows well also in a poor land, even
though the optimal PH is between 5.5 and 6.6.
The producing Countries:
-
Italy:
90% Sicily; Campania
and Calabria
what is left
- USA: above
all the Californian zone
- Mexico
- India
- Spain
- Argentina
- Israel
- Turkey
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When lemon joins sour and sweet orange
Citrus
volkameriana
The volkamerian lemon is a hybrid of the Citrus limon (lemon) and the Citrus aurantium (sour orange). The
leaves, elliptical and middle/small-sized, are deep green. The buds have violet
hues and the fruit are rounded-shaped and middle-sized. The skin recalls that
of the orange and the pulp has a sour taste, close to that of the lemon. It is
often used as planting for other species. Particularly suitable for melted or
sandy grounds, it has a good resistance to frost.
Citrus meyeri
Among the variants of
the common lemon, the oriental one, or Citrus
meyeri, or Lemon Meyer, is a natural hybrid of the lemon (Citrus limon) and the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and comes from China.
The inflorescences have the usual violet hue and reproduce all the year round.
The fruit is very similar to the common lemon, although it is less sour and
more rich in juice. As a method of propagation the slip gets a very good
result. This species, appreciated also for its good resistance to temperatures,
is one of the most used for ornamental purposes.
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