Moreover, it does not cure or color well during storage, nor is it acceptable to most consumers when lemons are available. The fruit is too tender and juicy to withstand handling, shipping, and storage without excessive waste. "Although acceptable as a lemon substitute for home use, the Meyer lemon has not proven satisfactory as a commercial variety for the fresh-fruit trade. The fruit is remarkably affected by climatic factors and differs greatly in appearance in different regions." "The Meyer lemon compares favorably with the sweet orange for both cold and heat resistance and thus has a much wider range of climatic adaptation than either the common lemon or lime for which it is used as a substitute. Season: Fruit throughout the year, mainly winter, Nov-March" Notes The Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar (clone DPI-843-15): "The fruit is round, yellow and more cold hardy than typical lemons.Description: Everflowering, mainly in spring, large size, smooth skin, lower acidity, more cold tolerant than other lemons, dooryard, fruit tender and juicy, moderately seedy (10), low spreading growth habit. More or less everflowering but mainly in spring."
Tree moderately vigorous, small to medium in size, spreading, nearly thornless, hardy, and productive. Crop distributed somewhat throughout the year but mainly in winter. Flesh color light orange-yellow tender, very juicy lemon-flavored and acid. Rind thin, soft surface very smooth tightly adherent color yellowish-orange to orange.
"Fruit medium in size, oblong to short elliptical, sometimes faintly ribbed base rounded, sometimes faintly necked and radially furrowed apex rounded or with low, broad nipple. Hodgson (1967) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar: Fruit as broad as long or longer than broad, rind yellow (7-10), yellow-orange (11) or orange (12), rind texture smooth (1-3) or slightly rough (4-5), firmness leathery, navel absent, flesh yellow, taste sour. Leaflets sweetly orange-like or freshly lemon-like when crushed. Leaflets one, margin bluntly toothed or serrate/ serrulate, shade leaflet blades flat or weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly conduplicate. Petiole glabrous, length short, wings absent, if present, narrow, adjoining the blade. First year twig surface glabrous, second or third year twig surface striate thorns absent or not persistent or straight, prickles absent or not persistent. Origin: China, also known as Peking lemon." DescriptionĬrown compact or dense, not weeping. Originally brought into the USA by Frank Meyer in 1908 who was a USDA plant explorer. The Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) provided the following notes on the cultivar (clone DPI-843-15): "Received budwood from the USDA for this selection. Virus-free clones, several of which are currently available, will doubtless replace those employed in the past and thus preserve this useful and attractive ornamental." Unfortunately, however, its use is currently banned in some citrus areas because of the hazard it is considered to present as a symptomless carrier of certain viruses, particularly tristeza. It has become one of the most widely used citrus fruits as a dooryard plant and is especially adapted for use potted or tubbed. Introduced as a promising ornamental, it rapidly increased in popularity and soon fulfilled the most sanguine expectations. Because of its obvious resemblances to the lemon and its suitability as a substitute for that fruit, it has come to be known as the Meyer lemon. Department of Agriculture and introduced in 1908. "This fruit was found near Peking, China, by the plant explorer Frank N.