588 
stamens, often without a style; fruit oblong, wrinkled, with a 
thick rind, and acid pulp. h.G. Native of Asia, but has been 
cultivated from time immemorial in middle and south Europe, 
and now cultivated almost throughout the world.—Ferr. hesper. 
t. 59, 60-63. C. Mèdica Cédra, Gall. citr. p. 87. var. 1, 2-5-7. 
~—Rumph. amb. 2. t. 25 and 26. f. 2. Blackw. herb. t. 361. 
Young branches violet-coloured. Rind wrinkled, adhering to 
the pulp, possessing a sweet odour. Petals purplish on the 
outside. Pedicels axillary, solitary, 1-flowered. ‘The specific 
name Mèdica is said to be derived from Media, where it is 
said to have originally come from. This was the opinion of 
the Romans. The tree was cultivated in Italy before Virgil 
and Pliny. The wood was formerly used in making furniture 
by the Romans, as the Acasia is at this day. The fruit is 
often half a foot in length, ovate, with a protuberance at the 
tip ; usually 9-celled ; the pulp is white, and commonly acid ; the 
rind yellow, thick, hardish, odoriferous, irregular ; it is esculent, 
both raw and preserved. Properly there are two rinds; the 
outer thin, with innumerable miliary glands, full of the most 
fragrant oil; the inner thick, white, and fungous ; the partitions 
consist of two very thin diaphanous, membranaceous plates, 
connected at the axis, and inserted into the rind at the pere- 
phery; the cells are filled with a bladdery pulp. In each cell 
are a few seeds, commonly 1 or 2, sometimes 3 or 4. 
Risso gives the following description of this species : 
Branches spiny. Pedicels bear about 10-flowers, disposed in 
a corymb, the greater part of them sterile. The calyx is 5- 
toothed, covered on the outside with protuberances, and streak- 
ed with a few reddish nerves. The flowers are large, purple 
without and white’within, usually of 5 petals, which are oval- 
oblong, with 40 or 50 stamens, with flat unequal filaments, and 
yellow anthers. Pistil permanent, caducous, or wanting. The 
fruit is large and oblong, covered with protuberances, which are 
red when young, but of fine yellow colour when ripe ; the rind 
is spongy and thick, with a sweet odour, adhering closely to the 
pulp, which is sparing and acid. Seeds oblong, with a reddish 
pellicle. It is called Cedrat (I'r.), Cedrot (Ital.), Sedrou (Nice), 
Citron (Eng.), Cedreiro (Brazil). 
The fruit of the Citron is seldom eaten raw, but is generally 
preserved and made into confections, which being kept till 
winter and spring, when there is a scarcity to furnish out the 
desert, is the more valuable; but unless the season be warm, 
and the trees well managed, the fruit rarely ripens in England. 
The finest fruit that ever was produced in England, was in the 
garden of his Grace the late Duke of Argyle, at Whitten, where 
the trees: were trained against a south wall, through which there 
were flues for warming the air in winter, and glass covers to put 
over them when the weather began to be cold. Thus the fruit 
was as large as it is in Italy or Spain. 
The Citron is a native of the warm regions of Asia. Being 
introduced into Europe from Media, it had the name of Malus 
Medica, It seems to have come into Italy after the age of 
Virgil and Pliny, but before that of Palladius (Lin.), who ap- 
pears first to have cultivated it with any success there (Virg. 
136. qu. ed.) According to Haller, the Median apple described 
by Theophrastus is certainly a sort of orange (Bibl. bot. 32.), 
which fruit, according to Athenzeus, first travelled into Greece 
from Persia (Evelyn), and in time became known to the Greeks, 
and about the same time it began also to be cultivated in Judea. 
If the Median apple be the orange, the tristes succi of Virgil, 
and the acres medull@ of Palladius, it must have been much cor- 
rected by culture ; the latter author, Theophrastus, and Pliny, 
all speak of it as not eatable, though they celebrate its medicinal 
qualities far above its desert. 
It has been conjectured by many commentators, from the cir- 
cumstance of Jews at the present day carrying Citrons to the 
AURANTIACEZ. XIV. Cirrus. 
Feast of the Tabernacles, that it was the fruit (“ Hadar”) spoken 
of in the 23d chap. 4th ver. of the Book of Leviticus. In old 
Samaritan coins Citrons may be observed attached to the palm 
on one side. Josephus mentions a custom of great antiquity. 
Thus on one occasion, when Alexander the king and the high 
priest stood at the altar, the people revolted, and threw at him 
the Citrons they bore in their hands. It is, however, probable, 
that no particular fruit was alluded to, and it was not until the 
days of Solomon that Citrons became known. 
There are 3 varieties of the Citron enumerated by Risso in 
ann. du. mus. 20. p. 199 and 200. which are as follows : 
1 Large Citron (Engl.), Gros Sedrou (Nice), Cedrat a gros 
fruit (Fr.), Cedrone (Ital.). Citrus Médica frúctu máximo (Risso). 
Fruit large, wrinkled, copper-coloured, with a very thick rind and 
acid pulp. Vole. p.119. Gal. p. 98. no. 2. The principal differ- 
ence which separates this variety from the species is the great size 
of its fruit. The leaves are oval-oblong and thick, of a glaucous 
green-colour. The flowers are large, white, and numerous ; the 
stamens are much longer than the pistil. The fruit is large, with 
a thick rind, adhering closely to the pulp, which is a little acid. 
2 Monstrous Citron (Engl.), Cedro monstruoso (Ital.), Sedrou 
(Nice), Cedrat monstrueux (Fr.), Citrus Médica tuberdsa (Risso). 
Fruit monstrous, mucronated, yellow, with acid pulp. Ferr. 
hesp. 357. Vole. p. 162. Gal. p. 100. no. 5. From the tuber- . 
cles and teats, which ordinarily cover the fruit, the name 1s 
derived. The leaves are large, usually curled, and of a dark- 
green colour, placed on short petioles. ‘The flowers are dis- 
posed in a corymb. The fruit is roundish oval, of a dark-yellow 
colour, usually terminating in a short point at the apex; the 
rind is thick, and is covered with large tubercles, which even 
penetrate to the middle of the pulp, which is acid, and does not 
contain any seeds. 
3 Florence Citron (Engl.), Cedratello di Firenze (Ital.), Ce- 
drat de Florence (Fr), Citrus Médica Florentina (Risso). Fruit 
small, ovate, acuminated, very sweet-scented, with a thick yel- 
low rind and acid pulp. Volc. p. 133. Desf. p. 138. Gal. p. 
103. no. 7. This variety is a very pretty tree. The branches 
are spiny and green. The leaves are oval-oblong, toothed, and 
pointed, of a glaucous-green colour. The flowers are disposed 
in a tuft atthe summits of the branches. The calyx is 5-toothed. 
The corolla is composed of 5 or 8 petals, which are tinted with 
violet on the outside. Stamens from 30 to 36, with twisted 
filaments, which are-as long as the pistil. The fruit is ovate, 
gradually tapering to the apex into a point; the rind is thick, 
of a clear yellow colour, with a sweet scent, and covered with a 
few tubercles; the pulpis divided into 8-cells, and is truly acid. 
The Portuguese had many of the most curious sorts of Lemons 
and Citrons, brought from the Indies formerly, which seemed 
to thrive almost as well there as in their native soil, and yet 
they have not been increased. There are a few trees still re- 
maining in some neglected gardens near Lisbon, almost un- 
noticed by the inhabitants (Martyn). ‘The Lemon was first cul- 
tivated in Britain in the botanic garden at Oxford in 1648. 
(Hort. kew). _ 
The useful parts of the Lemon and Citron are the juice 
and the outward rind of the fruit, and the volatile oil of the 
outer rind. The juice of Lemons is analogous to that of the 
Orange, from which it only differs in containing more citric acid, 
and less syrup. The quantity of the former is indeed so great 
that the acid has been named from the fruit, acid of Lemons, and 
is always prepared from it. The simple expressed juice will not 
keep on account of the syrup, extractive mucilage, and water, 
which cause it to ferment. The yellow peel is an elegant aro- 
matic, and is frequently employed in stomachic tinctures and in- 
fusions ; and yields by expression or distillation with water an 
essential oil, which is much used in perfumery. Fresh Lemon- 
