The Variegated Pink Lemon, A Eureka Lemon Mutation
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When life gives you lemons, goes the proverb, make lemonade. But when life gives you a fancy lemon, show it off to your family and friends. The variegated pink-fleshed Eureka lemon in the photos is a beauty inside and out, from its pretty striped rind to the pink flesh inside. Yes, its juice is pink, too…and if can afford it (they’re more expensive than conventional lemons), make pink lemonade! The juice is sweeter (less acidic), with wonderful lemon flavor and fewer seeds than the conventional Eureka lemon. The crop grows throughout year in California, but is mainly sold in that state at specialty markets, and online. The leaves are variegated green and white, making the tree a lovely ornamental choice, although it’s a bit less vigorous than a typical Eureka lemon tree. Also called the variegated Eureka lemon, pink-fleshed Eureka lemon or pink lemonade lemon, it’s a cultivar of the Eureka lemon (Citrus × limon*). It was discovered as a bud sport on an ordinary Eureka lemon tree in a private garden Burbank, California, in 1931 [source]. In botany, a bud sport, or sport, is a part of a plant that shows morphological† differences from the rest of the plant. Sports may differ by foliage shape or color, flowers, fruit, or branch structure. The cause is believed to be a chance genetic mutation. Sports with desirable characteristics are often propagated to form new cultivars. In addition to the variegated Eureka lemon, examples of fruits propogated from bud sports include, among numerous others, the: This pink-flesh lemon deserves to be the focus of attention, so people can enjoy the appearance of both the rind and the flesh. The best way is to use it as a garnish for: > THE HISTORY OF LEMONS *The supermarket lime, or Persian lime, is Citrus × latifolia. †Morphological means relating to the form or structure of things. |
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