Lemon (Citrus limon)

Lemon (Citrus × limon) is a plant species in the Rutaceae family. It grows as a small tree or shrub, reaching a height of 3–6 meters. It features a brown taproot and an upright, woody, cylindrical, and thorny stem with a sympodial branching pattern. The leaves are compound, arranged alternately, and oblong in shape, with pointed tips and bases and entire (smooth) margins; they measure 5–6 cm in length and 3–4 cm in width, appearing green with pinnate venation.

The flowers grow in clusters; they have lobed calyces and five stamens. The blossoms are oval-shaped, white with purple streaks. The fruit is 7–12 cm in diameter, ovoid in shape, and tapers to a point at one end. The rind is bright yellow—sometimes marked with green or white stripes—and is 6–10 mm thick. The flesh is pale yellow, divided into 8–10 segments, juicy, and acidic in taste. The seeds are flat, oblong, and white.

Fruit extract is used as an aromatic ingredient in food, tea, snus, perfumes, and cosmetics. The fruit contains citric acid, essential oils, and limonene.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Family Rutaceae
Subfamily: Aurantioideae
Genus: Citrus L. in Sp. Pl.: 782 (1753)
Species: Citrus × limon (L.) Osbeck in Reise Ostindien: 250 (1765)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Citrus medica f. limon (L.) M.Hiroe in Forest Pl. Hist. Jap. Islands 1: 218 (1974)
Citrus medica var. limon L. in Sp. Pl.: 782 (1753)
Citrus medica subsp. limon (L.) Cout. in Notas Fl. Portugal 2: 14 (1915)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Citrus × adami Risso in Fl. Nice: 85 (1844)
Citrus × aurantium var. bergamia (Risso) Kostel. in Allg. Med.-Pharm. Fl. 5: 2000 (1836)
Citrus × aurantium subsp. bergamia (Risso) Wight & Arn. ex Engl. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(4): 198 (1896)
Citrus × aurantium subsp. khatta (Bonavia) Engl. (1896)
Citrus × aurantium var. khatta Bonavia in Cult. Or. Lem. Ind.: 17 (1888)
Citrus × aurantium var. mellarosa (Risso) Engl. (1896)
Citrus × aurata Risso in Hist. Nat. Prod. Eur. Mérid. 1: 409 (1826)
Citrus × aurata var. gordonia Risso (1826)
Citrus × aurata var. histrix Risso (1826)
Citrus × aurata var. pomum-adami Risso (1826)
Citrus × bergamia (Risso) Risso & Poit. in Hist. Nat. Orangers: t. 53-56 (1819)
Citrus × bergamia subsp. mellarosa (Risso) D.Rivera, Obón, De la Torre & A.Barber in D.Rivera & al., Varied. Trad. Frut. Cuenca Río Segura Cat. Etnobot.: 108 (1998)
Citrus × bergamia var. parva Risso (1826)
Citrus × bergamia var. vulgaris Risso (1826)
Citrus × bergamota Raf. in Sylva Tellur.: 141 (1838)
Citrus × dimorphocarpa Lush. in Indian Forester 36: 346 (1910)
Citrus × gordonia (Risso) Risso in Hort. Universel 1: 352 (1839)
Citrus × limetta Risso in Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 20: 195 (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. acris Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus × limetta var. auraria Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus × limetta var. bergamia Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. fructo-pumila Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. fructo-stellata Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. hispanica Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus × limetta var. limoniformis Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta subsp. murcica S.Ríos, D.Rivera, García Lidón & Obón in D.Rivera & al., Varied. Trad. Frut. Cuenca Río Segura Cat. Etnobot.: 133 (1998)
Citrus × limetta var. parva Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus × limetta var. peretta Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. pomum-adami Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. pomum-rosae Risso (1813)
Citrus × limetta var. romana Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus × limetta var. tuberculosa Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus limetta var. vulgaris Risso & Poit. (1818)
Citrus × limettioides Tanaka in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 16: 236 (1937)
Citrus × limodulcis D.Rivera, Obón & F.Méndez in D.Rivera & al., Varied. Trad. Frut. Cuenca Río Segura Cat. Etnobot.: 125 (1998)
Citrus × limon var. pompia Camarda in Quad. Bot. Amb. Appl. 24 (2013): 113 (2015)
Citrus × limonelloides Hayata in Icon. Pl. Formosan. 8: 16 (1919)
Citrus × limonia Osbeck in Reise Ostindien: 250 (1765)
Citrus × limonia var. digitata Risso in Hist. Nat. Orangers (1818)
Citrus × limonia khatta (Bonavia) Tanaka in Bult. Sci. Fak. Terk. Kjusu Imp. Univ. 1: 114 (1925)
Citrus × limonia var. limetta (Risso) Engl. in Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2. 19A: 338 (1931)
Citrus × limonum Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. amalphitana Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. balotina Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. bignetta Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. bignetta-fructo-maxima Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. calabrina Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. caly Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. ceriesca Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. citrata Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. citrata Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. citrata-pumila Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. cortico-tenuis Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. dulcis Risso in Ann. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 20: 204 (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. fructu-bipapillato Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. fructu-elongato Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. fructu-pusillo Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. gaietana Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. imperialis Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. incomparabilis Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. laurae Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. paradisi Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. ponzina Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. pulpa-dulci Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. racemosa Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. rosolina Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. sbardonii Risso (1813)
Citrus × limonum var. striata Risso (1813)
Citrus medica var. limetta (Risso) Engl. (1896)
Citrus medica subsp. limonum (Risso) Engl. (1896)
Citrus medica var. limonum (Risso) Brandis in Forest Fl. N.W. India: 52 (1874)
Citrus medica subsp. lumia (Risso) Cout. in Fl. Portugal: 379 (1913)
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis (Hoola van Nooten) Swingle in C.S.Sargent, Pl. Wilson. 2: 141 (1914)
Citrus × mellarosa Risso (1826)
Citrus × mellarosa var. plena Risso (1826)
Citrus × mellarosa var. vulgaris Risso (1826)
Citrus × meyeri Yu.Tanaka in Icon. Jap. Citrus Fruits 1: 91 (1946)
Citrus × sarbati Tanaka in Bull. Univ. Osaka Prefect., Ser. B, Agric. 9: 33 (1959)
Citrus × sarcodactylis Hoola van Nooten in Fl. Fr. Feuill. Java 6: [t. 29] (1863)
Citrus × volkameriana Pasq. in Cat. Ort. Bot. Napoli: 29 (1867)
Citrus × vulgaris Ferrarius ex Mill. in Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. (1754)

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Balick, M. J., M. H. Nee & D.E. Atha (2000). Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 85: 1-246.

Balkrishna, A. (2018). Flora of Morni Hills (Research & Possibilities): 1-581. Divya Yoga Mandir Trust.

Barooah, C. & Ahmed, I. (2014). Plant diversity of Assam. A checklist of Angiosperms and Gymnosperms: 1-599. Assam science technology and environment council, India.

Brako, L. & Zarucchi, J.L. (1993). Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 45: i-xl, 1-1286. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Brundu, G. & Camarda, I. (2013). The Flora of Chad: a checklist and brief analysis. PhytoKeys 23: 1-18.

Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.

Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2013). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 5: 1-451. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2024). Flora of North America North of Mexico 13: 1-566. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (2001). Flora of Bhutan 2: 1-1675. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.

Jaramillo Díaz, P. & Guézou, A. (2017). CDF Checklist of Galapagos Vascular Plants - FCD Lista de especies de Plantas Vasculares de Galápagos http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/vascular-plants.

Kokwaro, J.O. (1982). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Rutaceae: 1-52.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

MacKee, H.S. (1994). Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie, ed. 2: 1-164. Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Sykes, W.R. (1970). Contributions to the flora of Niue. Bulletin, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 200: 1-321.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2008). Flora of China 11: 1-622. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Suurlemoen
Arabic: ليمون حامض
Assamese: Jambira
Bunun: Libuung
Catalan: Llimoner
Chinese (simplified): 柠檬
Chinese (traditional): 檸檬 - 黎檬
Croatian: Limun
Czech: Limeta
Danish: Citrontræ
Dutch: Citroen
English: Lemon, Bergamot orange, Limetta, Sweet lime, Sweet lemon, Chinese lemon, Canton lemon, Meyer lemon, Mazoe lemon, Bergamia
Estonian: Harilik sidrunipuu
Filipino: Bulid
Finnish: Mehusitruuna, Sitruuna
French: Citronnier
German: Limone, Zitrone, Zitronenbaum
Guangdong: 檸檬
Hawaiian: Lemi
Hebrew: לימון
Hindi: नींबू Nimbu
Hong Kong: 檸檬
Indonesia: Lemon, Jeruk lemon, Jeruk sukade, Jeruk sekade, Sitrun
Italian: Limone, Limone meyer, Bergamotto
Japanese: ベルガモット - レモン
Java: Limun, Sitrun
Kannada: Dodda nimbe, Nimbe, Elumunchi
Korean: 레몬
Láadan: Hezh
Lithuanian: Tikrasis citrinmedis
Macao: 檸檬
Malaysia: Limau susu
Manipuri: Champra
Nepali: निबुआ Nibua
Polish: Cytryna, Cytryna właściwa, Cytryna zwyczajna
Portuguese: Limão, Lima,Limão-doce, Limoeiro
Punjabi: Nimbu
Russian: Лимон
Shona: Mindimu, Muremani
Slovak: Citrónovník bergamotový, Citrónovník pravý, Citrónovník sladký
Spanish: Lima, Limón amarillo, Limón dulce, Limonero, Naranja bergamota, Naranja dulce de la India
Swedish: Citron
Tagalog: Limon
Taiwan: 檸檬
Tamil: எலுமிச்சாய் Elumicchai
Thai: เลมอน
Turkish: Leylim, Limon
Ukrainian: Лимон
Urdu: لیمو Leemu
Vietnam: Thanh yen

Aryo Bandoro
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