Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Citrus x jambhiri Lush.


Weed
Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Family

Lushington, A.W. (1910) Indian Forester 36: 342. Type: Not indicated but probably a cultivated plant at Dehra Dun, India (?not preserved).

Common name

Lemon; Lemon, Bush; Bush Lemon

Stem

A small tree seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh.

Leaves

Oil dots large and conspicuous, readily visible to the naked eye. Leaf blades about 5-10 x 2.5-6 cm. Midrib slightly raised on the upper surface. Straight spines often present on the twigs.

Flowers

Petals glabrous, usually pink on the outer surface, about 14-20 x 5-8 mm, oil dots yellowish, large and conspicuous, readily visible to the naked eye on the outer surface of the petals. Stamens about 25-30, staminal filaments about 9-18 mm long. Disk at the base of the ovary, inside the whorl of staminal filaments.

Fruit

Fruits globose, about 6-11 x 7-11 cm, surface bullate. Pulp yellow or yellowish green, very tart and acidic.

Seedlings

First pair of leaves ovate, margins toothed. Oil dots large, visible to the naked eye. At the tenth leaf stage: petiole winged, oil dots clearly visible to the naked eye; strong odour from crushed leaves; a few thorns present in the leaf axils. Seed germination time 17 to 21 days.

Distribution and Ecology

An introduced species originally from sub-tropical Asia, widely cultivated in Australia and now naturalised in NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 800 m. Usually grows in disturbed areas, around old camp sites, on farmland and in rain forest regrowth.

RFK Code
999
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