Kodagu: A rare variety of lemon fruit weighing a whopping 5 kg has been found in a garden in Palibetta and has taken labourers and local farmers by surprise.
The extraordinary 6-foot-tall variety has been found in the coffee garden of former Zilla Panchayat member and social worker, Mookonda Viju Subramani.
Mukonda Viju Subramani, the owner of the plantation, said, 'Four years ago, I bought citrus fruits from the Mysore market. I had sown seeds in the garden right behind my house and saw two seedlings sprout in a few days.
They were then uprooted and planted on the side of the garden using organic manure. Although the plant grew only for three years, it neither produced flowers nor fruits, making it impossible to detect the plant's variety.
A few months ago, the plant bore jasmine flowers, which later turned into pods. Now they have grown to an enormous size.'
Found rarely in Italy and European countries, this lemongrass usually adapts to all kinds of climates. Its fruit is oval and contains small seeds.
The fruits have dull skin and juicy pulp and are used for making pickles and cold drinks. It also has many health and medicinal uses.
Read More:
