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{{About|the fruit}}
{{Redirect|Lemons|the surname|Lemons (surname)}}
{{Distinguish|Iemon}}

{{Short description|Yellow citrus fruit}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Lemon
|image = P1030323.JPG
|image_caption = A fruiting lemon tree. A blossom is also visible.
|genus = Citrus
|species = × limon
|authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Osbeck]]
|synonyms_ref = <ref name=WFO>{{cite web |title=''Citrus limon'' (L.) Osbeck|url= http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001133139 |date=2022 |website=World Flora Online |publisher=The World Flora Online Consortium |access-date= 23 Jul 2022}}</ref>
|synonyms =
{{collapsible list|bullets = true
|''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' subsp. ''bergamia'' (Risso & Poit.) Engl.
|''Citrus'' ''aurantium'' subsp. ''bergamia'' (Risso) Wight & Arn.
|''Citrus'' ''aurantium'' var. ''bergamia'' (Risso) Brandis
|''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' var. ''mellarosa'' (Risso) Engl.
|''Citrus'' × ''bergamia'' Risso & Poit.
|''Citrus'' × ''bergamia'' subsp. ''mellarosa'' (Risso) D.Rivera & al.
|''Citrus'' × ''bergamota'' Raf.
|''Citrus'' × ''limodulcis'' D.Rivera, Obón & F.Méndez
|''Citrus'' × ''limonelloides'' Hayata
|''Citrus'' × ''limonia'' Osbeck
|''Citrus'' × ''limonia'' var. ''digitata'' Risso
|''Citrus'' × ''limonum'' Risso
|''Citrus'' ''medica'' var. ''limon'' L.
|''Citrus'' ''medica'' f. ''limon'' (L.) M.Hiroe
|''Citrus'' ''medica'' f. ''limon'' (L.) Hiroë
|''Citrus'' ''medica'' subsp. ''limonia'' (Risso) Hook. f.
|''Citrus'' × ''medica'' var. ''limonum'' (Risso) Brandis
|''Citrus'' × ''medica'' subsp. ''limonum'' (Risso) Engl.
|''Citrus'' ''medica'' var. ''limonum'' (Risso) Brandis
|''Citrus'' × ''mellarosa'' Risso
|''Citrus'' × ''meyeri'' Yu.Tanaka
|''Citrus'' × ''vulgaris'' Ferrarius ex Mill.
|''Limon'' × ''vulgaris'' Ferrarius ex Miller
|}}
}}

The '''lemon''' ('''''Citrus'' × ''limon''''') is a [[species]] of small [[evergreen]] tree in the [[flowering plant]] family [[Rutaceae]], native to [[Asia]], primarily [[Northeast India]] ([[Assam]]), Northern Myanmar, or China.<ref name="morton">{{cite web|year=1987|pages=160–168|title=Lemon in Fruits of Warm Climates|author=Julia F. Morton|url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lemon.html#Description|publisher=Purdue University}}</ref>

The tree's [[ellipsoid]]al yellow [[hesperidium|fruit]] is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its [[juice]], which has both culinary and cleaning uses.<ref name=morton/> The pulp and [[peel (fruit)|rind]] are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5-6% [[citric acid]],{{cn|date=August 2023}} with a [[pH]] of around 2.2,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iCh-EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA481 |page=481 |title=Chemistry: Structure and Dynamics |author1=James N. Spencer |author2=George M. Bodner |author3=Lyman H. Rickard |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2010|isbn=9780470920930 }}</ref> giving it a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice, derived from the citric acid, makes it a key ingredient in [[drink]]s and foods<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pkzx2TeYYT8C&pg=RA3-PA663 |title=Comprehensive Natural Products II: Chemistry and Biology
|publisher=Elsevier |year=2010|isbn=9780080453828
}}</ref> such as [[lemonade]] and [[lemon meringue pie]].

==History==
{{see also|Citron#Origin and distribution}}

[[File:Lemon - whole and split.jpg|thumb|Lemon external surface and cross-section]]
The origin of the lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in [[Assam]] (a region in [[northeast India]]), northern [[Myanmar]], or [[China]].<ref name="morton"/>{{verification failed|reason=The source only states "The true home of the lemon is unknown, though some have linked it to northwestern India."|date=May 2021}} A genomic study of the lemon indicated it was a hybrid between [[bitter orange]] (sour orange) and [[citron]].<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Gulsen, O.|author2=M. L. Roose|year=2001|title=Lemons: Diversity and Relationships with Selected ''Citrus'' Genotypes as Measured with Nuclear Genome Markers|journal= Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science|volume=126|issue=3|pages=309–317|doi=10.21273/JASHS.126.3.309|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118101600.htm Genetic origin of cultivated citrus determined: Researchers find evidence of origins of orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, other citrus species"], ''Science Daily,'' January 26, 2011 (Retrieved February 10, 2017).</ref>

[[File:Limon.jpg|thumb|Lemon cidra]]

Lemons are supposed to have entered [[Europe]] near southern [[Italy]] no later than the second century AD, during the time of [[Ancient Rome]].<ref name="morton" /> They were later introduced to [[Persia]] and then to [[Iraq]] and [[Egypt]] around 700 AD.<ref name="morton" /> The lemon was first recorded in literature in a 10th-century [[Arabic]] treatise on farming and was also used as an ornamental plant in early [[Islamic garden]]s.<ref name=morton/> It was distributed widely throughout the Arab world and the [[Mediterranean region]] between 1000 and 1150.<ref name=morton/> An article on Lemon and lime tree cultivation in [[Andalusia]], [[Spain]], is brought down in [[Ibn al-'Awwam]]'s 12th-century agricultural work, ''Book on Agriculture''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ibn al-'Awwam|first=Yaḥyá|author-link=Ibn al-'Awwam|title=Le livre de l'agriculture d'Ibn-al-Awam (kitab-al-felahah) |year=1864|location=Paris|publisher=A. Franck|translator=J.-J. Clement-Mullet |pages=300–301 (ch. 7 - Article 32)|url=https://archive.org/details/lelivredelagric00algoog/page/n14/mode/2up |language=fr|oclc=780050566}} (pp. [https://archive.org/details/lelivredelagric00algoog/page/n408/mode/2up 300]–301 (Article XXXII)</ref>

The first substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe began in [[Genoa]] in the middle of the 15th century. The lemon was later introduced to the [[Americas]] in 1493, when [[Christopher Columbus]] brought lemon seeds to [[Hispaniola]] on his voyages. Spanish conquest throughout the New World helped spread lemon seeds. It was mainly used as an ornamental plant and for medicine.<ref name=morton/> In the 19th century, lemons were increasingly planted in [[Florida]] and [[California]].<ref name=morton/>

In 1747, [[James Lind (physician)|James Lind]]'s experiments on seamen suffering from [[scurvy]] involved adding lemon juice to their diets, though [[vitamin C]] was not yet known as an important dietary ingredient.<ref name=morton/><ref>{{cite book|author=James Lind|title=A treatise on the scurvy. Second edition.|place=London|publisher=A. Millar|year=1757}}</ref>

The origin of the word ''lemon'' may be Middle Eastern.<ref name=morton/> The word draws from the Old French ''limon'', then Italian ''limone'', from the Arabic ''laymūn'' or ''līmūn'', and from the [[Persian language|Persian]] ''līmūn'', a generic term for [[citrus]] fruit, which is a cognate of Sanskrit (''nimbū'', '[[Lime (fruit)|lime]]').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=lemon|title=Online Etymology Dictionary|author=Douglas Harper}}</ref>

==Varieties==
[[File:Citrus x limon - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-041.jpg|thumb|Detailed taxonomic illustration by [[Franz Eugen Köhler]]]]

The 'Bonnie Brae' is oblong, smooth, thin-skinned, and seedless.<ref>{{cite book |title=The orange: its culture in California |last=Spalding |first=William A. |year=1885 |publisher=Press and Horticulturist Steam Print |location=[[Riverside, California|Riverside]], California |page=[https://archive.org/details/orangeitsculture00spalrich/page/88 88] |url=https://archive.org/details/orangeitsculture00spalrich |quote=Bonnie Brae lemon. |access-date=March 2, 2012 }}</ref> These are mostly grown in [[San Diego County]], USA.<ref>{{cite book |title=Rational Diet: An Advanced Treatise on the Food Question |last=Carque |first=Otto |orig-year=1923|year=2006 |publisher=[[Kessinger Publishing]] |location=[[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], California |isbn=978-1-4286-4244-7 |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zDjmYpZGh_4C&q=Bonnie%20Brae%20lemon&pg=PA195 |access-date=March 2, 2012}}</ref>

The 'Eureka' grows year-round and abundantly. This is the common supermarket lemon, also known as 'Four Seasons' (''Quatre Saisons'') because of its ability to produce fruit and flowers together throughout the year. This variety is also available as a plant for domestic customers.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ursula |last=Buchan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3325753/Kitchen-garden-lemon-tree.html |title=Kitchen garden: lemon tree |work=The Daily Telegraph |date= January 22, 2005 |access-date=January 24, 2014 |location=London}}</ref> There is also a [[pink-fleshed Eureka lemon]] with a green and yellow [[variegated]] outer skin.<ref>[http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/variegatedpink.html Vaiegated pink] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043411/http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/variegatedpink.html |date=December 1, 2017 }} at the [[Citrus Variety Collection]].</ref>

The Lisbon lemon is very similar to the Eureka and is the other common supermarket lemon. It is smoother than the Eureka, has thinner skin, and has fewer or no seeds. It generally produces more juice than the Eureka.<ref>{{Cite web|title=frostlisbon|url=https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/frostlisbon.html|access-date=2020-09-27|website=citrusvariety.ucr.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=says|first=3 Easy Tips: How to Plant Lemon Seeds at Home Indoors or Outdoors|date=2007-02-01|title=Eureka Lemon and Lisbon Lemon: Kitchen Basics|url=https://harvesttotable.com/eureka_lemon_and_lisbon_lemon/|access-date=2020-09-27|website=Harvest to Table|language=en-US}}</ref>

The 'Femminello St. Teresa', or 'Sorrento'<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/features/la-fo-limoncello8sep08,0,771590.story |title=Taste of a thousand lemons |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date= September 8, 2004|access-date= November 21, 2011}}</ref> originates in Italy. This fruit's zest is high in lemon oils. It is the variety traditionally used in the making of ''[[limoncello]]''.

The 'Yen Ben' is an Australasian cultivar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ceventura.ucdavis.edu/ben/citrus/misc/new_zealand.htm |title=New Zealand Citrus |publisher=ceventura.ucdavis.edu |access-date=June 13, 2010 |archive-date=June 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610054722/http://ceventura.ucdavis.edu/ben/citrus/misc/new_zealand.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{nutritional value | name=Lemon, raw, without peel
| kJ=121
| protein=1.1 g
| fat=0.3 g
| carbs=9.32 g
| fiber=2.8 g
| sugars=2.5 g
| calcium_mg=26
| iron_mg=0.6
| magnesium_mg=8
| phosphorus_mg=16
| potassium_mg=138
| zinc_mg=0.06
| manganese_mg=0.03
| vitC_mg=53
| thiamin_mg=0.04
| riboflavin_mg=0.02
| niacin_mg=0.1
| pantothenic_mg=0.19
| vitB6_mg=0.08
| folate_ug=11
| choline_mg=5.1
| source_usda=1
| note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160126221315/http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=09150&format=Full Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

==Nutrition and phytochemicals==
Lemon is a rich source of [[vitamin C]], providing 64% of the [[Daily Value]] in a 100 g reference amount (table). Other [[essential nutrient]]s are low in content.

Lemons contain numerous [[phytochemical]]s, including [[polyphenol]]s, [[terpene]]s, and [[tannin]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Org Med Chem Lett|year=2014|volume=4|page=5|doi=10.1186/2191-2858-4-5|title=Phytochemical analysis and radical scavenging profile of juices of ''Citrus sinensis'', ''Citrus aurantifolia'', and ''Citrus limonum'' |vauthors=Rauf A, Uddin G, Ali J|pmid=25024932|pmc=4091952 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Lemon juice contains slightly more [[citric acid]] than [[Lime (fruit)|lime]] juice (about 47 g/L), nearly twice the citric acid of [[grapefruit]] juice, and about five times the amount of citric acid found in [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] juice.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Penniston KL, Nakada SY, Holmes RP, Assimos DG | title=Quantitative Assessment of Citric Acid in Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, and Commercially-Available Fruit Juice Products | journal=Journal of Endourology | volume=22 | issue=3 | year=2008 | pmid=18290732 | pages = 567–570 | doi = 10.1089/end.2007.0304 | pmc=2637791}}</ref>

==Culinary uses==
Lemon juice, rind, and peel are used in a wide variety of foods and drinks. The whole lemon is used to make [[marmalade]], [[lemon curd]] and [[lemon liqueur]]. Lemon slices and lemon rind are used as a [[garnish (food)|garnish]] for food and drinks. Lemon [[zest (ingredient)|zest]], the grated outer rind of the fruit, is used to add flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice, and other dishes.

===Juice===
Lemon juice is used to make [[lemonade]], [[soft drink]]s, and [[cocktail]]s. It is used in [[marinade]]s for fish, where its acid neutralizes [[amine]]s in fish by converting them into nonvolatile [[ammonium]] salts. In meat, the acid partially [[hydrolysis|hydrolyzes]] tough collagen fibers, [[tenderizing]] it.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fruit enzymes tenderise meat|url=https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1945-fruit-enzymes-tenderise-meat|website=Science Learning Hub|language=en|access-date=2020-05-14}}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]], lemon juice is frequently added to [[pancakes]], especially on [[Shrove Tuesday]].

Lemon juice is also used as a short-term [[preservative]] on certain foods that tend to oxidize and turn brown after being sliced ([[enzymatic browning]]), such as [[apple]]s, [[banana]]s, and [[avocado]]s, where its acid denatures the enzymes.

===Peel===
In [[Morocco]], lemons are preserved in jars or barrels of salt. The salt penetrates the peel and rind, softening them, and curing them so that they last almost indefinitely.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Preserved Lemons Recipe|url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016212-preserved-lemons|last=Moskin|first=Julia|website=NYT Cooking|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-14}}</ref> The preserved lemon is used in a wide variety of dishes. Preserved lemons can also be found in Sicilian, Italian, Greek, and French dishes.

The peel can be used in the manufacture of [[pectin]], a polysaccharide used as a gelling agent and stabilizer in food and other products.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dimopoulou|first1=Maria|last2=Alba|first2=Katerina|last3=Campbell|first3=Grant|last4=Kontogiorgos|first4=Vassilis|date=2019-11-01|title=Pectin recovery and characterization from lemon juice waste streams|journal=Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture|volume=99|issue=14|pages=6191–6198|doi=10.1002/jsfa.9891|issn=1097-0010|pmid=31250441|bibcode=2019JSFA...99.6191D |s2cid=195760607}}</ref>

===Oil===
Lemon oil is extracted from oil-containing cells in the skin. A machine breaks up the cells, and uses a water spray to flush off the oil. The oil/water mixture is then filtered and separated by [[centrifugation]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Tranchida|first=Peter Quinto|chapter=Advanced Analytical Techniques for the Analysis of Citrus Oils|title=Citrus Oils|year=2010|pages=482–516|publisher=CRC Press|doi=10.1201/b10314-16|isbn=978-1-4398-0029-4}}</ref>

===Leaves===

The leaves of the lemon tree are used to make a tea and for preparing cooked meats and seafoods.

==Other uses==

===Industrial===
Lemons were the primary commercial source of [[citric acid]] before the development of [[Fermentation (biochemistry)|fermentation]]-based processes.<ref name="Hofrichter2010">{{cite book|author=M. Hofrichter|title=Industrial Applications|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=80XBNrGsIywC&pg=PA224|year=2010|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-642-11458-8|page=224}}</ref>

===Aroma===
Lemon oil may be used in [[aromatherapy]]. Lemon oil aroma does not influence the human [[immune system]],<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=18178322|pmc=2278291|year=2008|last1=Kiecolt-Glaser|first1=J. K.|title=Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic, endocrine, and immune function|journal=Psychoneuroendocrinology|volume=33|issue=3|pages=328–39|last2=Graham|first2=J. E.|last3=Malarkey|first3=W. B.|last4=Porter|first4=K|last5=Lemeshow|first5=S|last6=Glaser|first6=R|doi=10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.11.015}}</ref> but may contribute to relaxation.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=10962794|year=2000|last1=Cooke|first1=B|title=Aromatherapy: A systematic review|journal=British Journal of General Practice|volume=50|issue=455|pages=493–6|last2=Ernst|first2=E|pmc=1313734}}</ref>

===Other===
One educational science experiment involves attaching [[electrode]]s to a lemon and using it as a [[battery (electricity)|battery]] to produce electricity. Although very low power, several [[lemon battery|lemon batteries]] can power a small digital watch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/lemon.html|title=Lemon Power|publisher=California Energy Commission|access-date=December 7, 2014|archive-date=May 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519151259/http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/lemon.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> These experiments also work with other fruits and vegetables.

Lemon juice may be used as a simple [[invisible ink]], developed by heat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/invisible-ink-and-other-science-of-10-04-20/|title=Invisible Ink and More: The Science of Spying in the Revolutionary War|last=Mirsky|first=Steve|date=April 20, 2010|website=Scientific American|access-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref>

Lemon juice can be used to increase the [[blonde]] colour of hair, acting as a natural highlight after the moistened hair is exposed to sunlight. This is due to the citric acid that acts as bleach.<ref name="GLAMOUR">{{cite web|url= https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/lemon-juice-in-hair|title= Here's how to lighten your hair at home with lemon juice (it actually works)|publisher=Bianca London|date=2020|access-date=16 Sep 2020 |website=Glamour UK}}</ref><ref name="Klorane Labratories">{{cite web|url=https://www.klorane.com/uk-en/feelgoodactgood/does-lemon-juice-really-lighten-hair
|title=Does lemon juice really lighten hair?|publisher=Klorane Laboratories|date=2020|access-date=18 Sep 2020}}</ref>

==Horticulture==
Lemons need a minimum temperature of around {{convert|7|C|F}}, so they are not hardy year-round in temperate climates, but become hardier as they mature.<ref name="rhs">{{cite web|url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/fruit/citrus|title= Citrus|publisher= Royal Horticultural Society|date= 2017|access-date= 19 April 2017}}</ref> Citrus require minimal pruning by trimming overcrowded branches, with the tallest branch cut back to encourage bushy growth.<ref name=rhs/> Throughout summer, pinching back tips of the most vigorous growth assures more abundant canopy development. As mature plants may produce unwanted, fast-growing shoots (called "water shoots"), these are removed from the main branches at the bottom or middle of the plant.<ref name=rhs/>

The tradition of [[urination | urinating]] near a lemon tree<ref>
{{cite book
| last1 = Capomolla
| first1 = Fabian
| last2 = Pember
| first2 = Matthew
| chapter = Lemon
| title = The Little Veggie Patch Co.
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=1w2jBgAAQBAJ
| location = Sydney, New South Wales
| publisher = Plum
| date = 2011
| page = 129
| isbn = 9781742628417
| access-date = 2020-04-27
| quote = Urinating around a lemon tree provides a tonic of water, salt and minerals, much like that of an organic fertiliser [...].
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| last1 = Capomolla
| first1 = Fabian
| title = Growing Food the Italian Way
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=J5MtDwAAQBAJ
| series = The Hungry Gardener
| publisher = Plum
| date = 2017
| page = 168
| isbn = 9781760554903
| access-date = 2020-04-27
| quote = Yes, it is true - urinating on the soil around a lemon tree is beneficial to the plant. Just don't overdo it, as that can be detrimental.
}}
</ref><ref>
[[The World's Fastest Indian]] - "Munro was never known to actually urinate on his lemon tree; film director Roger Donaldson added that detail as a tribute to his own father, who did."
</ref>
may be beneficial as urine is a fertilizer.

In cultivation in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], the cultivars "Meyer"<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/29386/i-Citrus-i-×-i-limon-i-Meyer-(F)/Details
| title = RHS Plantfinder - Citrus × limon 'Meyer'
| access-date = 30 January 2018}}</ref>
and "Variegata"<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/90013/i-Citrus-i-×-i-limon-i-Variegata-(F-v)/Details
| title = RHS Plantfinder - Citrus × limon 'Variegata'
| access-date = 30 January 2018}}
</ref>
have gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]] (confirmed 2017).<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf
| title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 20
| publisher = Royal Horticultural Society
| access-date = 24 January 2018
}}
</ref>

==Production==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:left; width:14em; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2|Lemon (and lime) production, 2021

(in millions of tonnes)
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:75%;"| Country
! style="background:#ddf; width:25%;"| 2020
|-
| {{IND}} || 3.5
|-
| {{MEX}} || 2.9
|-
| {{CHN}} || 2.6
|-
| {{TUR}} || 1.6
|-
| {{BRA}} || 1.5
|-
| {{ARG}} || 1.4
|-
|- style="background:#ccc;"
|'''[[World]]''' || '''20.8'''
|-
|colspan=2|Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the United Nations.<ref name="faostat">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Statistics Division (FAOSTAT)|title=World production of lemons and limes in 2021; Crops/Regions/World/Production Quantity/Year from pick lists|date=2023|access-date=22 August 2023}}</ref>
|}

In 2021, world production of lemons (combined with [[Lime (fruit)|limes]] for reporting) was 21 million [[tonne]]s led by India with 17% of the total. Mexico and China were major secondary producers (table).

==Other citrus called "lemons"==
* [[Citrus depressa|Flat lemon]], a mandarin hybrid.
* [[Meyer lemon]], a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid distinct from sour or sweet orange,<ref name="limes and lemons">{{cite journal | title=Phylogenetic origin of limes and lemons revealed by cytoplasmic and nuclear markers | last1=Curk | first1=Franck | last2=Ollitrault | first2= Frédérique | last3=Garcia-Lor | first3= Andres | last4=Luro | first4=François | last5=Navarro | first5=Luis | last6=Ollitrault | first6=Patrick | journal=Annals of Botany | volume=11 | pages=565–583 | year=2016 | issue=4 | doi=10.1093/aob/mcw005 | pmc=4817432 | pmid=26944784}}</ref> named after Frank N. Meyer, who first introduced it to the United States in 1908. Thin-skinned and slightly less acidic than the Lisbon and Eureka lemons, Meyer lemons require more care when shipping and are not widely grown on a commercial basis. Meyer lemons often mature to a yellow-orange color. They are slightly more frost-tolerant.
* [[Ponderosa lemon]], more cold-sensitive than true lemons, the fruit are thick-skinned and very large. Genetic analysis showed it to be a complex hybrid of citron and pomelo.<ref name="limes and lemons" />
* [[Rough lemon]], a citron-mandarin cross, cold-hardy and often used as a [[citrus rootstock]]<ref name="limes and lemons" />
* [[Sweet lemon]]s or sweet limes, a mixed group including the [[lumia (citrus)|lumia]] (pear lemon), [[Citrus limetta|limetta]], and [[Palestinian sweet lime]]. Among them is the Jaffa lemon, a pomelo-citron hybrid.<ref name="limes and lemons" />
* Volkamer lemon, like the rough lemon, a citron-mandarin cross<ref name="limes and lemons" />

==Gallery==
[[File:Jacob_Foppen_van_Es_-_Still_life_with_pitcher.jpg|thumb|Jacob Foppen van Es: Still life with pitcher]]
<gallery widths="150px" heights="120px">
File:Flowers blossoms.jpg|Flower
File:Lemon-citrus limon seedling.jpg|Lemon seedling
File:P2101990,lemon.jpg|Mature lemons
File:Citrus limon - Lemon tree - Limonero - Limoeiro.JPG|Full-sized tree
File:Citrus x limon 'Variegated Pink' - Lemon.jpg|[[Variegated]] pink lemon
File:Lemon 2 Bangladesh .jpg|Lemon with leaves
</gallery>

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
* [[List of lemon dishes and drinks]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary}}
*{{Commons-inline|Citrus × limon}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline|Citrus × limon}}
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Lemon |volume=16 |pages=413–415 |ref=none |short=1}} (with illustrations)
{{Citrus}}
{{Lemon dishes}}
{{Juice}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q500}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lemons| ]]
[[Category:Citrus hybrids]]
[[Category:Cocktail garnishes]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]
[[Category:Sour fruits]]
[[Category:Tropical agriculture]]

Lemon - Revision history

Bot at 14:33, 31 August 2023