Lemon
Yellow citrus fruit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the fruit. For other uses, see Lemon (disambiguation).
"Lemons" redirects here. For the surname, see Lemons (surname).
Not to be confused with Iemon.
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, and China.[2]
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Binomial name ...
Lemon | |
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A fruiting lemon tree (blossom visible) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Citrus |
Species: | C. × limon |
Binomial name | |
Citrus × limon | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses.[2] The pulp and rind are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5–6% citric acid,[citation needed] with a pH of around 2.2,[3] giving it a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice, derived from the citric acid, makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods[4] such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie.