Everything about lemon - is it a vegetable, berry or fruit

Lemon trees and their fruits are also called lemon. This is a Citrus species native to India. The bright yellow fruit with sour flesh is prized all over the world for its high content of vitamin C, essential oil, potassium, calcium and magnesium. D-limonene is responsible for the recognizable citrus aroma and taste. In this article, we will tell you everything about lemon: its origin, distribution, botanical features and chemical composition.

What is lemon

Lemon (lat.Citrus limon) is the name of a fruit tree of the genus Citrus, of the Rutacea family, and its fruits.

The name "lemon" comes from the Malay "lemo". In India, the fruit of the lemon tree is called "nimu", and in China - "limung".

The homeland of lemon is India and the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. Botanists suggest that this is a hybrid of citron and bitter orange, which appeared as a result of cross-pollination of two crops.

The first mention of it appeared 2 thousand years BC. e. in the historical documents of India and Pakistan. In the XII century. lemon appeared in the Middle East, in North Africa thanks to Arab merchants. Crusaders brought lemon to Spain and Italy.

Reference. Mexico and India are the leaders in harvesting lemons. The annual turnover is 14 million tons or 32% of the world harvest.

The exact time of the appearance of lemon in Russia is unknown. One of the versions says that the first tree was brought by oriental merchants. The plant is mentioned in a monument of Russian literature of the 16th century. - a book called "Domostroy". It describes tips for storing lemons and eating. Apparently, by this time the fruit of the lemon tree had already lost the status of an overseas wonder.

Some historians are sure that Peter I brought lemons to the territory of modern Russia after visiting Holland.... The first 200 seedlings were delivered by Admiral Apraksin in 1708 by order of the tsar. In 1714, lemon trees were planted in a specially equipped greenhouse. It was a huge structure with several rooms and was called Oranienbaum, which means "orange tree" in German. In Moscow, lemons were grown in the "greenhouse chambers" under the Kremlin.

Gradually cultivation fashion citrus spread among landowners and nobles. At that time, this occupation was considered prestigious.

In the middle of the XIX century. the famous folk variety of Pavlovsky lemon appeared, named after the city of Pavlovo, Nizhny Novgorod region. It was here that this indoor variety appeared thanks to the merchant Karachistov. Returning from Istanbul, he brought with him a couple of lemon seedlings donated by Turkish merchants. In his hometown, the Karachistov donated them to his relative Elagin, who began to breed them at home.

It was those first plants that laid the foundation for the cultivation of Pavlovsk lemons. Soon, trees could be found in almost every home. This is how the fashion for growing lemons on the windowsill appeared.

Botanical description of the plant

What does the lemon grow on? The fruits ripen on the lemon tree. Fruit length is 6-9 cm, diameter - 4-6 cm. The shape is ovoid or oval, narrowed at the ends. The peel is light yellow, lumpy, contains essential oil and is difficult to separate from the pulp.

8-10 spongy lobules are hidden under the peel. The pulp consists of green-yellow nipple sacs filled with sour juice.

Seeds are ovoid, yellow-green or white, with a single embryo.

The first fruits appear 6-7 years after planting. Ripening period - autumn.

The photo shows a cutaway lemon.

Botanically, is a lemon a vegetable, berry or fruit? Many find it difficult to answer this question.We used to call a cucumber a vegetable, and bananas, apples and citrus fruits. In the scientific literature, the fruits of the lemon tree are described as hesperidia - multi-celled and multi-seeded fruits, similar in structure to berries. The spongy endocarp and albedo are hidden under the outer yellow layer. These are the hallmarks of mandarin, orange, pomelo and grapefruit.

Description of the tree

Now let's look at what a lemon looks like.

It is a medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching 5-8 m in height. The crown is spreading or pyramidal. The average age of the tree is 35 years, the maximum is 45 years.

The bark is gray, with minor cracks on the mature branches. Young branches are distinguished by a red-purple color and smooth bark, they have thorns.

Leaves are leathery, green, 10-15 cm long, 5-8 cm wide. The surface is glossy, glossy on the front side and light green, matte on the back. The leaf plate is whole-edged, with veins and point-like reservoirs of essential oil.

Leaf shape broadly ovate or oblong-ovate, pointed at both ends. The type of structure is complex. The petioles are short, only 1-1.8 cm, winged or wingless, with a pronounced articulation at the base. Leaves change once every three years. The leaf falls off separately from the petiole.

Flowers are single or paired, axillary. Their size is 2–3 cm. Corolla is five-membered. The petals are snow-white or cream, pink or purple, curved, exude a delicate aroma. The flowering period is late April - early May.

Where lemons grow

Lemon trees have not grown in the wild for a long time. The culture is common in the subtropics, in the Caucasus, on the Black Sea coast, in Central Asia. The plant thrives when grown in soil with an acidity of 5.5-6.5 pH, in regions with cool sea air. Suitable conditions for lemon in Italy (especially in Sicily, Spain, Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus.

In Sicily, a special technology is used for the cultivation of lemons. For more than 70 years, local companies have been receiving 2 crops per season. In the summer, farmers stop watering their trees altogether, creating a 60-day drought. Further, the trees are fertilized with a nitrogen complex and actively watered, which achieves abundant and long flowering. Thus, fruiting lasts from September to February. This technology is practiced only in the Sicilian climate. In other countries, it does not work.

In Russia, lemons grow in open ground in the Krasnodar Territory, in the South Caucasus, in the Crimea. There they are grown by the trench method, which prevents the roots from freezing.

Reference. Going on another sea voyage, James Cook took a supply of lemons with him in order to prevent scurvy. And in 1795, a decree was issued in England, according to which the crew of the ships were obligatorily given a daily portion of lemon juice.

The chemical composition of fresh lemon

The table shows the chemical composition of lemon (per 100 g).

Nutritional value of 100 g lemon:

• calorie content - 34 kcal;
• proteins - 0.9 g;
• fats - 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 3 g;
• fiber - 2 g;
• water - 88 g.

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Conclusion

Botanists believe that the fruit of the lemon tree is closer to berries in description. The plant has a maximum lifespan of 45 years. Fruiting begins 6-7 years after planting. In Sicily, a special cultivation method is practiced, thanks to which trees bear fruit from the beginning of autumn to the end of winter.

Lemon is a citrus with a rich chemical composition and low calorie content, which has many beneficial properties. Its distribution area is countries with a subtropical climate. In Russia, lemons are grown in the Krasnodar Territory, the South Caucasus and the Crimea. Pavlovsky lemon and its varieties are cultivated at home on the windowsill.