126 THALAMIFLOR^. 



A shrubby tree, 8-10 feet in heiglit : branches long, virgate, 

 subtrigonal towards their extremities, glabrous, armed witli 

 horizontally spreading thorns. Leaves about 6 inches long and 

 2 broad, serrulato-crenated, of a yellow-green colour : petiole ^ 

 of an inch in length. Peduncles axillary, solitary, usually 1- 

 flowered. Petals 3, oblong, obtuse. Stamens of unequal length. 

 Fruit of a bright yellow colour : rind divisible into two layers ; 

 that which is external, composed of an infinite number of vesi- 

 cles filled with essential oil ; the other, which is internal, thick, 

 white, and forming the principal bulk of the fruit : pulp enclosed 

 in a diaphanous membrane, and arranged into several compart- 

 ments : compartments many-seeded. 



The Citron is originally a native of Media. It passed from 

 thence into Persia, and in course of time became known to the 

 Greeks. It is considered to be the Malus Medica of Theo- 

 phrastus, and the Malum Medi^ of Virgil. From a very 

 early period, the Jews were acquainted with it. It is the fruit 

 Hadar, — "the fruit of the tree that is beautiful" — mentioned 

 in Leviticus (ch. xxiii. v. 40), which the people were directed 

 on the Feast of Tabernacles, to bring with the young unde- 

 veloped leaves of the date palm before the Lord. This injunc- 

 tion is strictly observed to the present day. Particular care is 

 taken to distinguish the proper fruit by its mammillated or tu- 

 berculated appearance, as the Lemon frequentlyacquiresthesame 

 shape and size. Should the style or stigma be defective or in- 

 jured, the fruit is immediately rejected. VV^e find, in old Sama- 

 ritan coins, a Citron represented attached to a palm : and Jose- 

 phus informs us, that on one occasion, when Alexander, the 

 King and High Priest, stood at the altar, the people revolted, 

 and threw at him the Citrons they held in their hands. 



This fruit is used only in confections. The pulp is in small 

 quantity, and contains little acid. The rind affords a consider- 

 able proportion of essential oil. 



2. Citrus Limonum. Lemon. 



Petioles subalate, leaves oblong subacute, stamens 

 30-35, fruit oblong. 



Risso, Ann. Mus. XX. ^0\.—Bot. Miscel. I. 297. 



HAB. Cultivated and wild. 



FL. Early in the year. 



A tree, seldom more than 12 feet in height: branches long, 

 twiggy, angulose towards their extremities, and glabrous with 

 a violet tinge ; spines axillary, long, patent. Peduncles 1-6- 

 flowered : flowers pedicelled, minutely bracteated. Petals 

 usually 4 (from the union of two), previous to expansion tinged 

 with violet. Filaments in two rows, with the inner row rather 

 shorter. Fruit usually much smaller than the Citron, rugose, 

 9-ll.celled. 



