description
The Lemon is a small, straggling tree from the Rutaceae family that stands
about 11 feet high. It is irregularly branched and the bark varies in color from
clear grey on the trunk, green on the younger branches, to a purplish color
on the twigs.
The leaves are ovate-oval evergreen and are about two inches long;
the margin serrate with sharp spines in the axils of the stalks. The
solitary, five-petalled flowers grow on stems in the axils. They bloom white inside and are tinged with deep pink
outside.
The familiar lemon fruit is an ovoid berry, meaning it is egg-shaped with
a more pointed end and nipple on one side. Lemons are generally about
three inches in length, smooth, bright yellow, indented over the oil-glands, and
have an acidic, pale yellow pulp. Lemon peel is the outer yellow peel of
the fruit of this tree.
About
forty-seven varieties of lemon are believed to have been developed during its centuries
of cultivation.
common names & nomenclature
The word lemon may be Middle Eastern in its origin.
One of the earliest occurrences of "lemon" appears in a Middle English customs
document of 1420–1421. However the Middle English word limon comes from the Old
French limon, suggesting that the fruit was introduced to the English by
the French. Limon most likely was derived from the Italian limone,
and in turn from the Arabic laymūn or līmūn, which comes from the Persian
līmūn, a generic term for citrus fruit.
Also known as:
lemon, citrus medica, citrus limonum, citronnier, neemoo, leemoo, limoun, limone
