The lemon is a member of the citrus family believed to originate from Asia. The fruit has a long history of use. In fact, its use as food was recorded in Greece as early as 300 BC. By 20 BC, it seems the lemon was cultivated in Italy. Evidence of its use was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii.
Lemon is a hybrid species of citrus fruit. The plant ancestor may be malum medicum, as described by Pliny. It was the first citrus fruit known in the Mediterranean region, and it was specifically described in a 10th-century Arabic treatise on farming.
