Author Topic: Australian native citrus  (Read 3591 times)

citrange

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Australian native citrus
« on: December 10, 2016, 04:11:12 AM »
I think most people on this forum are interested in growing the 'normal' citrus varieties, but I have become fascinated by the Australian species - even though they are not really very eatable.
A few weeks ago I returned from a trip to Australia to see if I could locate and photograph all the six native citrus species growing wild.
You can see the results on my website - follow the links at the bottom of the page starting at
http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/australia2016/australia2016.html
Mike.

shaneatwell

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2016, 09:29:35 AM »
Very cool! I was half expecting to see Glycosmis pentaphylla, but I guess that's only a cousin.
Shane

Radoslav

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2016, 01:25:57 PM »
I think most people on this forum are interested in growing the 'normal' citrus varieties, but I have become fascinated by the Australian species - even though they are not really very eatable.
A few weeks ago I returned from a trip to Australia to see if I could locate and photograph all the six native citrus species growing wild.
You can see the results on my website - follow the links at the bottom of the page starting at
http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/australia2016/australia2016.html
Mike.

Great reading.

Tom

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2016, 02:05:52 PM »
Thank you, that was very interesting. You've done an enormous amount of research. Excellent work. Tom

cory

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2016, 02:58:56 PM »
This trip report is so interesting.  It is amazing that you located all those rare trees so far from where you live.  Thank you for sharing the information and pictures.  I can't imagine undertaking such an adventure.  I am so glad you were able to find all the species you set out to find.  I hope your efforts can help save the endangered trees. 
Cory

mangaba

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2016, 08:20:42 PM »
Thanks a lot for the wonderfull contribution. Very usefull

Millet

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2016, 10:12:32 PM »
Mike, I've spend two hours studying your adventure,---  amazing.  Thanks for sharing your trip with us .  On the section about the  finger lime, I red that the native habitat for the tree is as an under story tree growing in the shade.   My Red Finger lime (container) has always been in direct sun the full day.  I've always had the thought that the tree seemed to be stressed. Perhaps dappled light would be better. Anyway, over the years, reading here, and on the Citrus Growers of your adventures far and wide in search of citrus varieties of all sorts its given us  a view of areas unavailable to us.   One of the very best sites on the Internet for anyone interested in citrus is Mike's home site  http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/  well worth visiting. I highly recommend it.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2016, 11:58:45 AM by Millet »

citrange

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2016, 05:22:44 AM »
Thanks for your replies!
As some of you will know, I've been around for quite some time. In fact, not far off 70 years, so I was a little nervous about undertaking this trip on my own.
But I have been considering it for some years and knew it was now or never.
With temperatures at times well over 100F, and a tick embedded in my chest, I did sometimes think 'what the hell did I come here for?'
But (apart from the tick) everything went well; everyone I met was really helpful and I enjoyed a great experience in Australia.
In some ways it is a country surprisingly English and almost familiar, in other ways it is a totally alien environment.
Anyway, going alone was actually quite a liberating experience.
I would say to anyone in a similar situation who is hesitating about doing something different 'Take Care but Go for It!'

Lory

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2016, 06:46:38 AM »
Great researc, I really enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing Mike.
About the Tick be careful, keep yourself monitored, these awful scritters  can transmit borrelia burgdofery the agent of lyme's disease.
Lorenzo

Millet

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2016, 10:38:32 PM »
Mike, how many varieties of the Australian native citrus do you have in your collection?

citrange

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #10 on: December 12, 2016, 03:59:44 AM »
I have the species C.australis, C.australasica, C.inodora ,C.garrawayae, C.glauca. All potted plants, and some quite small and struggling to grow.
Various named hybrids: xSydney (virgata?), Eremolemon, Eremoorange, Blood Lime, Sunrise Lime, Faustrime, Faustrimedin.
Varieties is more complicated. From various discussions, I tend to think that the naming of many of the Finger Limes is of doubtful value.
Various individuals and growers have collected specimens from the wild and given them names for commercial reasons, but there has been no independent comparison to see if there are significant differences between them. Yes, colours vary and fruit size varies and growth habit varies. But no-one knows if there is really any difference between Lovely Green, Tasty Green, Wonder Green and Green Beauty. (My made-up names!)
I have types with peel of red or red/brown, black, green, yellow. Flesh of green, yellow, pink/red. Internal and external colour varies with growing conditions.
I also have lots of seedlings of various sizes that may one day fruit. I'm hoping for a nice blue one!
Mike/Citrange

Mike T

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Re: Australian native citrus
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2017, 07:02:10 PM »
Mike you sure did well and I doubt many locals have rivalled your citrus sleuthing in this neck of the woods. Inodora is a bit more widespread than records usually show and it is easiest to pick up fruit from the forest floor that to find the plants. The Mt White Lime Garraway is native to an area about 1000 miles north of where you found it in Rocky. They are very remote and hard to locate.
The wild finger limes have been continually assaulted by introduced citrus pollen and it is getting hard to know how much variation is natural.