Lime 



581 



3. LEMON — Citrus Limonum Risso 



In Florida the lemon was growing wild long before any attempt had been made 



toward its cultivation by American settlers, and it was probably introduced dur- 

 ing the early Spanish occupation. It is a small tree up to 6 meters tall. 



The branches are somewhat spreading, short and thorny, forming a rather 



open head. The bark is thin, rather 



smooth and grayish. The twigs are 



smooth, purplish at first, becoming 



yellowish gray. The leaf-blades are 



borne on narrowly margined petioles; 



they are light green, ovate-oval, 5 to 



7 cm. long, sharp-pointed, roimded at 



the base, toothed on the margin. The 



flowers are solitary or in pairs in the 



axils of the leaves, on short peduncles; 



the persistent calyx is 4- or 5-lobed; 



the corolla is 4 to 5 cm. across, pur- 



pUsh outside, white within; the ob- ^^^'^Ssa-^^SP^ ^ 



long petals are roimded at the apex 



and spreading; stamens about 3S,their ^^°- S36- — Lemon. 



filaments more or less imited into small groups; ovary 7- to lo-celled. The fruit, 



ripening at all seasons, is oblong or ovoid, usually about 7.5 cm. long, pointed at 



each end ; its rind is light yellow, quite thin, very aromatic, yarying from nearly 



smooth to very rough or mamillated, and adherent to the abundant, white, very 



juicy, acid pulp; seeds oval, pointed and quite smooth. 



The Lemon is probably a native of Cochin China and is widely cultivated in 



tropical countries. In the United States, 

 where its consumption for lemonade is 

 enormous, it is cultivated in California and 

 in Florida, but the bulk of the supply still 

 comes from the Mediterranean region. 



4. LIME — Citrus spinosissima Meyer 



A small straggling tree or shrub attain- 

 ing a maximum height of 6 meters; it has 

 become sparingly naturalized in peninsular 

 Florida, where it is being cultivated to 

 some extent. 



The trunk is usually very short. The 

 branches are crooked, numerous and very 

 thorny; the thorns are small, but sharp, the twigs light green, becoming darker 



Fig. 537. — Lime. 



