Please help me to wave a dream concerning Dovyalis abyssinica.
The dream arose after reading the paper: Physico-chemical Evaluation of Dovyalis, published in Proc. Fla. Hort. Soc. 127:14-17. 2014 with nice photos and historical data.
To the best of my understanding and experience in Ethiopia and its fauna and fruits trees, the D. abyssinica fruit has yellow skin and yellow flesh and is rather similar to Dovyalis caffra also by its taste. The main difference is in its fruit appearance. It is much larger sized, 4-5 cms in diameter. (I did not conduct DNA tests). For sure the D. caffra and D. Abyssinca grow near each other and may cross-breed in its African homeland.
However, in various google-directed sources and even scientific papers from Florida, the parent father/mother D. abyssinica is defined almost like its X offspring - the tropical apricot, the famous alleged cross Dovyalis X hybrid, that is thought to be naturally produced in Miami Florida with famous Ketembila - mother D. hebecarpa. In fact it was said that various D. X types originated naturally in that Garden of Eden at Floridam and the specific D. X was crowned as the original crown prince - Tropical Apricot
My dream challenges this Floridan assumption.
I read many descriptions of D. abyssinica, from various sources , these were simply replicated-duplicated-revised-copied from a certain source.....and I think that even a few scientists (not from Africa, but from the great USA) made such a possible mistake describing the D. abyssinica and named it also as Tropical Apricot.
Before approaching the Kew Royal Botanical Garden, will any Dovyalis specialist here – solve my dream?
Agronomist Ariel Shai
Israel