History of Rare Plants

Four kinds of Lemons.

Almost similar to the Citron is that which they call Limonera, whose fruits are equal to the smaller Citrons, oblong, with a sufficiently dense flesh, and endowed with much acid juice, with no or very few seeds inside; the leaves are shorter than those of Citrons, the flower purplish on the outside, and the thorns smaller and shorter than in the Limera. Of this kind sweet ones are also found, yet they are smaller and similar to the oblong Limes. I also hear that a "pregnant" kind of it is found, containing another smaller fruit within itself, which the inhabitants call in their own language Limones preñados; but that kind has not been seen by me. The most learned man Simon de Tovar wrote that it had been brought from the Canary Islands in the index of his garden which he sent to me in the year 1595; and that he cultivated another kind that was almost entirely flesh, which represents various shapes, and for that reason is called by the Spaniards Limones de figuras. Moreover, I observed a fourth kind, the largest of all, at The Hague in Holland in the year 1593, belonging to the most Illustrious Lady Princess of Chimay, sent by the most learned man Bernardus Paludanus, a Physician; for it equaled the size of a larger Citron fruit, but had a less dense rind, shining like gold, and even the interior pulp was less acid than the other kinds. The seeds or grains of both are oblong.

Two kinds of Limes.

That which they call Limera rises with a large trunk and has thinner, long branches, armed with firm, long, green thorns; the leaves are somewhat serrated around the edge, the flower white, the fruit a little smaller than the Limonera, somewhat oblong, becoming yellowish when it has ripened, with a thin rind, so that it contains almost nothing but juice, and that most acid. It is always seen laden with flower and fruit. Furthermore, there is another kind of it almost similar in all respects, except that it lacks thorns, or has very small ones, and its fruit is round, marked on the top part with a kind of crown or navel.

The various kinds of the Golden Apple.

The Golden Apple tree [Orange] surpasses the rest of this kind in size, and is not inferior to the common Apple tree in fertile soil, although it is sometimes found low-growing. It has firm branches, few and short thorns, green leaves, not at all serrated around the edge, and white, very fragrant flowers; the fruit, which the Spaniards call Naranjas, is of a golden color at maturity, endowed with juice that is either sweet, or vinous, or acid, in which the seeds are numerous and rounder than in Lemons.

Dwarf Golden Apple.

This tree also has a dwarf of its kind, which is propagated by grafting or inoculation; it is more liberal in bearing flowers and apples even in cold regions, provided it is properly cared for.

Golden Apple with edible rind.

From that kind which has sweet juice, I observed two trees among the Carthusians in Spain (the Spaniards call it las Cuevas) across the Baetis river, which bore fruit endowed with a much firmer flesh, almost in the manner of Apricots, although similarly divided into small chambers and succulent like the others; its rind was eaten together with the flesh and juicy substance, and the color of the rind is remarkably golden. The Spaniards call it Naranja caxel.

The single-seeded Golden Apple and Figs.

Moreover, another kind whose acid juice contained a single seed.