Monachello lemon

Citrus limon L. Burm.f.

CRC 3392
PI 539302

Source

Received as seed from Acireale, Sicily, Italy (via Dr. L.J. Klotz, CRC), 1962.

Parentage/origins

Certain characteristics of this variety, particularly the distinctive growth habit and cross-sectional shape of the larger branches, suggest that it is a lemon-citron hybrid.

Rootstocks of accession

Yuma Ponderosa lemon

Season of ripeness at Riverside

Crop well distributed throughout year but mainly in winter and spring.

Notes and observations

This was seedling #4; no record re single or double seedling. Note by visitors from Italy, Drs. Reforgeato & Starrantino, 1985: CRC 3392 looks like Monachello. In Italy, Monachello is "resistant" to Mal Secco but has poor quality and yield; therefore it is not grown very much despite Mal Secco resistance.

11/13/1989, EMN: A market type lemon. Matches C.I. description fairly well except is nosy, not "nipple small & inconspicuous". Very light crop.

Description from The Citrus Industry Vol. 1 (1967)

"Fruit medium-small, elliptical but tapering at both ends; neck lacking; nipple small and inconspicuous; seeds few or none. Color yellow at maturity. Rind thin; surface smooth but with large sunken oil glands; very tightly adherent. Segments about 10; axis medium-small and solid. Flesh tender, somewhat lacking in juice, and acid content lower than most. Crop well distributed throughout year but mainly in winter and spring.

Tree somewhat lacking in vigor, slow growing, and round-topped; strongly drooping, slender, nearly thornless branches; dense foliage. Leaves large, thick, with undulate margins, and brighter green than most lemons. Fruit produced inside the foliage canopy. Moderately productive in comparison with Femminello and well adapted to forcing but with markedly reduced winter crop.

The outstanding virtue of this distinctive Italian variety is its resistance to mal secco disease. This is the reason for its extensive planting some decades ago to the point where it was second only to Femminello. In all other respects, it is inferior to Femminello and currently it is planted only in areas where mal secco is very severe.

Certain characteristics of this variety, particularly the distinctive growth habit and cross-sectional shape of the larger branches, suggest that it is a lemon-citron hybrid."