Lobed citranges

[Citradia]

What causes some citranges to sometimes be lobed and sometimes smooth spheres? These are Benton and citradia at the Southeastern Citrus Expo in Bolivia, NC today.

[Ilya11]

They are caused by the presence of citrus bud mite during the flowering.
link

[Citradia]

Thanks, Ilya!

[Florian]

Do those mites prefer certain Poncirus hybrids? I have seen quite a few deformed citranges but not so many other citrus and never Poncirus.

[usirius]

The citrus bud mite (Aceria sheldoni) is present everywhere where citrus is grown on a grand scale.  It affects all citrus, including Fortunella and Poncirus. Where citrus is cultivated outside the cultivation areas in the hobby area, it occurs only rarely. But it can also occur there, depending on where you got your citrus material from. For the occurrence of the mite on all citrus and citrus relatives and thus also on hybrids see the following dissertation: https://www.ecofog.gf/giec/doc_num.php?explnum_id=35

[lebmung]

For those in cold climates spray your trees with horticultural oil now during the winter. Cold and the oil will kill all insects and larva. Not easy to do this with warm weather so prevention key.