Details for: PI 658362, Citrus ×limon (L.) Osbeck, 'Berna'

'Verna' is described (The Citrus Industry, 1967, 1:561) as "Fruit medium in size, oval to broad-elliptical; neck or collar short; nipple well developed. Seed content variable, but usually few to none. Color bright yellow at maturity. Rind medium-thick (thinner in summer crop); surface somewhat pebbled, rough; tightly adherent. Crops comes mainly in winter but holds well into summer, with undesirably large fruit, however. Tree very vigorous, upright-spreading, large, and productive." The fruit have a high juice content but with lower acids than other varieties (Agusti , Citricultura, 2000).

Saunt (2000) and Agusti (2000) state that this variety flowers twice or occasionally thrice, but that the second crop is of inferior quality. According to Gonzalez-Silicia (1968), the main period of production is from February to July. When another crop is forced by the verdelli method (referred to as "redrojo" in Spain), 'Verna' fruits gave the finest and least thick rind of any produced in this time period. 'Verna' tends to be altenate-bearing, especially following a verdelli treatment and is out-yielded by 'Fino' (Saunt, 2000). In California, 'Verna' is stated to appear much like 'Lisbon' (The Citrus Industry, 1967, 1:561).

This particular selection of 'Verna' ('Verna 50') is stated to be of medium to high vigor, usually flowering twice, with most fruit held inside the tree (Gardiabzabal-I et al., 2001, Proceedings ISCA, pp. 171-174). This last reference shows 'Verna' to have the lowest total production of the varieties tested. (RRK, 12/2006)