Meyer lemon is believed to be a hybrid of lemon and mandarin orange parentage. The tree was brought to the United States from Beijing, China in 1908 by Frank Meyer, a plant explorer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Historic cultivar; original form was later found to carry citrus tristeza virus and has since been replaced with the "Improved Meyer Lemon". This fruit was found near Peking, China, by the plant explorer Frank N. Meyer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and introduced in 1908. Because of its obvious resemblances to the lemon and its suitability as a substitute for that fruit, it has come to be known as the Meyer lemon. Introduced as a promising ornamental, it rapidly increased in popularity and soon fulfilled the most sanguine expectations. It has become one of the most widely used citrus fruits as a dooryard plant and is especially adapted for use potted or tubbed.