Lunario lemon

Citrus limon L. Burm.f.

CRC 3159
PI 218009

Source

Received as seed from Frank Russo, Acireale, Sicily, Italy, 1956.

Parentage/origins

Parents unknown.

Rootstocks of accession

Yuma Ponderosa lemon, Citrus macrophylla

Season of ripeness at Riverside

Unknown at this time.

Notes and observations

Large lemon, elongated, fairly pronounced neck, long conspicuous nipple. No crease at nipple, no ribbing, thin rind, good texture, about 1 seed per fruit. Lunario refers to the phases of the moon-- thus flowering every month.

Description from The Citrus Industry Vol. 1 (1967)

"Fruit medium-large, long elliptical to long-obovate; commonly with well-developed neck or furrowed collar; usually with narrow sharp-pointed nipple; seedy. Rind smooth and medium-thin. Flesh color greenish-yellow; not very juicy; only moderately acid. Tree of medium vigor and size, strongly overbearing, thornless; foliage dark green; highly productive.

Lunario is a distinctive Italian variety. It is very responsive to the forcing treatment but the verdelli fruit is smaller in size, and the following winter crop is markedly reduced in amount.

Lunario is of local importance in parts of Sicily and the Amalfi area near Naples and is grown to some extent in Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria."