Citrus inodora

[druss]

Looks like my citrus inodora might be holding fruit.

[mehmetsaygin]

Congratulations. I have never heard of it until I read this topic, thanks for the information.

[druss]

Definitely holding fruit. 😀

[Florian]

Good stuff. Does it occur naturally where you live? Is the fruit any good? It looks tiny and seedy on pics.

[Millet]

druss, I see from your pictures you are growing in totes.  Good idea.  I have many empty totes, which I acquire from the business were in..  However, because I live in a cold winter location, it would be difficult to move them in and out to protect them from freezes.  Still in a warm location they would be great.

[druss]

Nope its from the other side of the country  in Qld, not sure how big the fruit will get  originally it was on its own roots, im guessing cutting grown,it did nothing for 5 years then entually it started to decline, out of fear of losing it I grafted a couple of scions to a carrizo rootstock I had. 18 months later its doing great. Yes I am putting a few of my bigger plants in totes, others are going into 1/2 blue barrels. These are cheaper than 100l and 300l pots. I also have a bobcat to move them with and a 2.4m high door on the poly tunnel.

[citrange]

I have been growing C. inodora seedlings for about 16 years here in England.
Surprisingly, they are growing well and produce plenty of fruits.
I say 'surprisingly' because, having found this species growing wild in Queensland, my conditions are very different.
They grow in a very small region of tropical rainforest. Hot and very wet. See http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/australia2016/australia2016inodora.html
My greenhouse is not much above freezing for several months of the year, but they seem to thrive.





I particularly like growing this rare Australian species because it hybridises very easily, and you can quickly distinguish hybrids by the reduction in dual thorns.
The fruits are around 4cms/2" long. Don't taste that wonderful and are seedy - but they are much less acidic than finger limes.
So I hope hybrids will retain this trait and hopefully give bigger fruits.
Mike/Citrange

[canelo_N]

@druss Congratulations

My experience with C.Inodora-seedlings here in Switzerland are unfortunately not like citrange´s experience in England. I´m growing almost all Australian (Micro-)Citrus from seeds without bigger Problems, exept c.inodora... different tryings with seedlings all ended up within 2-3 years with the same result....
In my contitions, all tested Citrus and Mircocitrusplants are growing more or less, exept C.Inodora...

mike (from Switzerland)

[mikkel]

Mike, do you have already fruiting hybrids?

[citrange]

Yes, I have one plant that has produced two fruits that appeared to be mature and dropped a couple of weeks ago. I think there is one still in the greenhouse - I will look for it in the morning to photograph.
These hybrids are just open pollinated and not controlled - so they could be crosses with any of my citrus varieties, but this one seems to be a hybrid with a finger lime. The fruits are longer than inodora fruits but still have that slightly depressed end.
Saga University in Japan made many Microcitrus hybrids. Some time ago I recovered the information from their old website and re-published it on mine. The thumbnails are clickable for larger photos.
See http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/australiannativecitrus/sagauniversityhybrids.html
Citrange/Mike

[citrange]

Mainly for Mikkel

Here are some photos of my hybrid, compared with a true C. inodora. Everything suggests to me it is a cross with a red-skinned finger lime.
Note that the fruit is over-mature which shows in the depressed areas on the skin. The red colouration only developed after fruit fall.
You can see the reduced second spine in the first photo. The second one has a true C. inodora leaf behind.








Bigger photos at: http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/australiannativecitrus/inodorahybrid.html

Mike

[mikkel]

Thanks!

[Radoslav]

Mainly for Mikkel

Here are some photos of my hybrid, compared with a true C. inodora. Everything suggests to me it is a cross with a red-skinned finger lime.
Note that the fruit is over-mature which shows in the depressed areas on the skin. The red colouration only developed after fruit fall.
You can see the reduced second spine in the first photo. The second one has a true C. inodora leaf behind.








Bigger photos at: http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/australiannativecitrus/inodorahybrid.html

Mike

And what about the taste?

[mikkel]

How long did it take the hybrid until the first flower?

I look on the Saga hybrids especially Fukushu x Poncirus since some years
Do you know if ever something was released or shared? It is impossible to get these hybrids from Japan but some information could be interesting.
Fukushu x Poncirus looks good as it could be deciduous (only judged by the picture) and fruits more Citrus like then Poncirus like.

[citrange]

To me neither the finger lime nor Citrus inodora has any very distinctive taste. Nothing instantly unique like a lemon, lime or yuzu fruit. Both are sour, but inodora is much less acidic than a finger lime.
The hybrid fruit is just about in the middle - still no special taste, quite sour but just about possible for me to eat. Of course, in a proper warm climate they might taste better.
The plant flowered at six years old. Quite early!

Over the years, I have tried to contact Saga University several times. I once had an acknowledgement, but nothing else. The old web-site is defunct, the new one doesn't seem to have any information about their citrus collection. You can try following the links from http://fruit.ag.saga-u.ac.jp/HP_kaju1_e/link.html