The Nobleman Retort -clymenia- May 2026

This is where the legend gets juicy. According to horticultural lore (recorded in the 19th-century journal Revue Horticole ), a French nobleman at the court of Versailles was served a bitter, unripe orange by a political rival hoping to humiliate him. Instead of spitting it out, the nobleman smiled, chewed the peel, and replied (in the original French): “Monsieur, even the thorns of this garden produce the sweetest revenge.”

In the vast, fragrant universe of citrus fruits—where the common lemon and orange reign over supermarket shelves—there exists a shadowy echelon of near-mythical specimens. These are fruits that have been coddled by royalty, stolen by spies, and lost to history. Among these elite, one name stands out not just for its rarity, but for its audacious personality: The Nobleman Retort -Clymenia-. The Nobleman Retort -Clymenia-

Unlike the common orange ( Citrus sinensis ) or lemon ( Citrus limon ), which are hybrids of older species, Clymenia is believed to be a —or close to it. Native specifically to the islands of Palau, the Bismarck Archipelago, and parts of New Guinea, the Clymenia fruit is small, resembling a tangerine, but with a distinct neck or "nipple" at the apex. This is where the legend gets juicy