The Tropical Fruit Forum

Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: SoCal2warm on July 29, 2017, 05:58:19 PM

Title: Origins of different Citrus types, illustrated diagram
Post by: SoCal2warm on July 29, 2017, 05:58:19 PM
Take a look at this origins of citrus diagram from National Geographic:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/02/explore-food-citrus-genetics/ (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/02/explore-food-citrus-genetics/)

And it doesn't even show all the original citrus varieties! I have quite a few varieties that have ancestry from citrus species not shown on that diagram (C. trifoliate, C. ichangensis, C. taiwanica, etc).

There's so much diversity in the citrus family, and the amazing thing is it's possible to hybridize them together.
Title: Re: Origins of different Citrus types, illustrated diagram
Post by: manfromyard on July 29, 2017, 06:30:33 PM
Yes, they missed trifoliata and ichangensis.

There are also a few other varieties that we recently found like Citrus Glauca (from Australia) and Mangshanyegan (Wild Mandarin- like fruit from China).

Lots of available genetic material worldwide, especially in China where the West has limited access....
Title: Re: Origins of different Citrus types, illustrated diagram
Post by: SoCal2warm on July 29, 2017, 06:56:40 PM
I don't know, I wonder if the Chinese Orange could be partly descended from C. indica, which can still be found growing in the wild in Northeastern India. I'm also thinking that Meyer lemon has a lot less C. maxima in its ancestry (if any) than Orange.

I'd be really interested in citrus hybrids that didn't have any mandarin in their ancestry, since virtually all citrus hybrids are descended from mandarin.
Title: Re: Origins of different Citrus types, illustrated diagram
Post by: Mike T on August 01, 2017, 07:42:48 AM
All Citrus being able to cross and produce fertile offspring is indicative of them being a group that isn't genetically diverse and probably recent in their radiation. By some old species definitions they are almost a composite or single super species with a huge amount of phenotypic expression. The species names don't really correspond to a sensible botanic classification of species but are a horticultural convenience.
Speaking of hybrids some of the Australian native citrus crossed with blood oranges may produce striking fruit on trees that have drought resistance. There are a few hybrids like limes and lemons that don't have much mandarin ancestry.
Title: Re: Origins of different Citrus types, illustrated diagram
Post by: Ilya11 on August 01, 2017, 09:39:52 AM
I don't know, I wonder if the Chinese Orange could be partly descended from C. indica, which can still be found growing in the wild in Northeastern India. I'm also thinking that Meyer lemon has a lot less C. maxima in its ancestry (if any) than Orange.

I'd be really interested in citrus hybrids that didn't have any mandarin in their ancestry, since virtually all citrus hybrids are descended from mandarin.
Both statements have no experimental justification and are misleading.
Title: Re: Origins of different Citrus types, illustrated diagram
Post by: Sylvain on August 01, 2017, 10:24:59 AM
+1