Species and Cultivars

Species and Cultivars
    The classification of citrus was done by two famous authorities on the subject. W.T. Swingle (USA) and T. Tanaka (Japan) are at two extremes. Swingle (1948) recognized only 16 species under the genus citrus where as Tanaka (1954) described as many as 144 species. He failed to cover many forms of horticultural importance and many species of Japanese, Chinese and Indian origins have been denied. Swingle divided the genus Citrus into subgenera viz; Eucitrus having 10 species and Papeda having 6 species.
    • Tanaka’s (1954) treatment although considered more comprehensive and detailed, contained excessive number of species, some of them being of doubtful validity. In the mandarin group alone, he described 35 species, resulting into much confusion and obviously to lesser practical utility. Tanaka divided the genus Citrus into two subgenera viz; Archicitrus having 98 species and Metacitrus with 46 species.
    • Contrary to Swingle’s opinion, citrus forms of hybrids and certain cultivars by Tanaka were questionable and might be avoided. It is accepted that the characters employed for identifying a valid species of citrus should be free from the environmental influence.

    Major species of horticultural importance are:
    1. Mandarin group:
    Citrus reticulata: Chinese origin. Polyembryonic cultivars are Nagpur, Coorg, Khasi of India and Ponkan of china.
    C. unshu: Japanese origin- seedless, cultivars are Satsuma mandarins of Japan and Owari, Kara, Silver hill.
    C. deliciosa: Mediterranean origin- Polyembryonic cultivars- Willow leaf mandarin, Kinnow, King of USA and Blinda of Algeria.
    C. nobilis: Indo-China origin, natural Tangor. Polyembryonic cultivars: Kunembo of Japan, King Orange of USA.
    2. Orange group:
    C. sinensis: sweet orange Polyembryonic cultivars are Mosambi, Maltablood Red, Sathgudi, Valencia, Pineapple, Washington Navel Orange, Shamouti of Israel, Succari of Egypt, Dobla Fina of Spain, Mudkhed (bud mutant of Nagpur mandarin)
    C. aurantium- sour orange.
    3. Grape fruit group:Pummelo
    C. grandis – Monoembryonic. Malaysia and Polynesia origin. Leaves pubescent in lower surface, fruits in clusters. Cultivars are kaopan of Thailand and Buntan of Formosa.
    C. paradisi- Grape fruit- south china origin, polyembryonic. Leaves non-pubescent, fruits solitary. Cultivars are Poser, Ruby, Marsh, Duncan seedless, Thompson, Red blush, Triumph, Sharanpur special.
    4. Acid group:Lime
    C. limon: Lemon: weakly polyembryonic, cotyledons white. Cultivars are Eureka, Lisbon of USA, Feminello and Monactiello of Italy, Bernia of spain. Lemon oil is very important.
    C. jambheri: rough lemon- polyembryonic Indian origin, cotyledons light green , popular rootstock, fairly tolerant to virus diseases.
    C. aurantifolia: Acid lime or sour lime- Polyembryonic, cotyledons whitish- popular cultivar are Kagzi lime-susceptible to tristeza and canker.
    C. medica: citron – Indian origin – Monoembryonic, Persisting style.
    C. karna: Kharna Khatta- Popular rootstock, cotyledons white.
    C. limonica: Rangpur lime-hardy- popular rootstock, tolerant to tristeza and also salt.
    Other related wild species are:
    C. indica- Indian wild orange with inedible fruits
    C. latipes- Khasi papeda- cold tolerant.
    C. macroptera – Melanasian papeda- has medicinal value
    C. ichangensis- Ichang papeda- cold hardy, fruits inedible.
    C. assamensis- Admajor (Gajanimbe)
    Related genera:
    Ponicirus- Trifoliate orange, fruits inedible, Polyembryonic rootstock.
    Fortunella: Kumquat- the species are margarita, japonica, errasiflora, hindsii- Polyembryonic plants ornamental with small oval fruits.
    Intergeneric hybrids:
    Citrange- Trifoliate orange x C. sinensis, cultivars are Troyer, Carriyo, Morton, Stonia, Rusk, Coleman.
    Citrange quat- Trifoliate orange (Ponicirus x citrus), citrange x fortunella- trigeneric hybrid (kumquat)
    Citrangedin: (Ponicirus trifoliate x C. sinensis) x C. mitis (calamondin) – bigeric hybrid.
    Citrangor- citrange x C. sinensis
    Cicitrange- citrange x ponicirus trifoliate
    Citrandarin- P. trifoliata x C. reticulata (mandarin).
    Citrumelo- P.trifoliata x C. paradisi (grape fruit).
    Citermon- P. sp x C. aurantium
    Citrumquat- P. sp x C. japonicum x F. margarita (kumquat)
    Hybrids of fortunella (kumquat)
    Procimequat: F. japonica x C. aurantifolia (acid lime) x F. hindisi
    Limequat: C. reticulata x F. japonica x F. margarita .
    Intrageneric hybrids:
    Tangor : C. reticulata x C. sinensis, cultivars are temple, clamentine, montreal, Umatilla, monoembryonic
    Tangelo: C. reticulata x C. paradise, cultivars are Orlando, Sampson, Seminole.
    Lemonima: C. limon x C. aurantifolia
    Lemmonnage: C. limon x C .reticulata
    Sweet Orange
    • Second largest citrus fruit in cultivation and commercially grown in Andhra Pradesh (Ananthpur, Cudappah, Nalagonda, Mahaboobnagar and Chittor district).
    • Maharasthra: Marathwada, Ahmednagar, Pune and Nasik. Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
    Cultivars:
    Blood red in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan-Jaffa, Hamlin, Pineapple- exotic, Mosambi in Maharasthra and Sathgudi in A. P

Last modified: Sunday, 29 April 2012, 6:22 AM