Citrus x limon (L.) Osbeck, Reise Ostindien 250. 1765; C. limon (L.) Burm.f., Fl. Indica 173. 1768; C. x limonia Osbeck, Reise Ostindien 250. 1765; C. x limonum Risso, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 20: 201. 1813; C. medica var. limon L., Sp. Pl. 2: 782. 1753; C. medica f. limon (L.) M. Hi roe, Forest Pl. Hist. Jap. Islands 1: 218. 1974; C. medica subsp. limonia (Risso) Hook. f., Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(4): 200. 1897; C. medica var. limonum (Risso) Brandis, Forest Fl. N. W. India 52. 1874; Limon vulgate Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8. n. 1. 1768.

Shrubs or small trees, up to 3 m tall. Branches spiny. Leaves alternate; petiole very narrowly winged, 5-10 mm long; leaf blade 4.5-11 cm x 2.5-5.5 cm, ovate to elliptic, margin crenulate, apex acute, obtuse or emarginate, base rounded or obtuse. Flowers solitary or 3-5 in fascicles or on ca. 2 cm long racemes; floral buds reddish purple. Flowers 3-3.5 cm across, bisexual or male by complete or incomplete abortion of pistil, actinomorphic, hypogynous. Calyx cupulate, gland-dotted on outside, ca. 3 mm x 8 mm, 4-5-lobed, lobes small. Petals 4-5, free, spreading or recurved, white above, reddish purple abaxially, 1.7-2.1 cm x 0.5-0.7 cm, oblong, apex acute, gland-dotted abaxially. Stamens 25-28, polyadelphous; filaments 5-10 mm long, white; anthers linear-oblong, ca. 4 mm long, yellow, longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary subcylindric or barrel-shaped, ca. 5 mm long, 10-12-locular with few to many ovules; style cylindric, slightly longer or equal to ovary; stigma capitate or globular. Fruit yellow, ellipsoid to ovoid, up to 5 cm x 5 cm or more, surface coarse or smooth, pericarp thick and difficult to remove. Seeds ovoid, small, apex acute, smooth.

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