Forbidden fruit (citrus)

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The forbidden fruit (also shaddette) is a variety of citrus fruit native to Saint Lucia and once thought to be the origin of the grapefruit. [1] [2]

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History

Forbidden fruit tree, Hughes (1750), The Natural History of Barbados, plate 7 Forbidden fruit Hughes 1750.png
Forbidden fruit tree, Hughes (1750), The Natural History of Barbados, plate 7

What is thought to have been the first description of the forbidden fruit appears in the 1750 work of Griffith Hughes, The Natural History of Barbados. [3] [4] He described the 'Forbidden-fruit-tree' as similar to the orange tree, with fruit larger and longer than an orange. He describes its fruit as having "somewhat the Taste of a Shaddock" but exceeding "in the Delicacy of its Taste, the Fruit of every Tree in this or any of our neighboring Islands" in flavor. [3] Hughes included an illustration of the tree, but his lack of botanical knowledge places the accuracy of his descriptions in doubt. [4] The fruit was not limited to Barbados: in 1756 its presence was reported in Jamaica, describing it as "excell[ing] in sweetness". [4] Given the history in the Caribbean of attempts to propagate the shaddock by seed planting, an approach that has generally proved difficult in reproducing pure pomelo, it is thought that the forbidden fruit arose from seed planting of a natural hybrid of the shaddock (pomelo) and sweet orange, species both known to have been present in Barbados by 1687. [4] Twentieth-century naturalists considered it either to be a variety of pomelo or of the grapefruit, similarly an orange/shaddock cross, but it was not well characterized, and was presumed extinct. [4]

In the 1990s a survey of residents of Saint Lucia revealed two plants on the island being referred to as the forbidden fruit, one being a variety of the shaddock (pomelo), while the other matching more closely the historical descriptions of the forbidden fruit. This rediscovered hybrid forbidden fruit has a high degree of monoembryony which may make it an important genetic resource for the sweet orange, grapefruit, and rootstock breeding programs. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Citrus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus Citrus is native to South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Australia. Various citrus species have been used and domesticated by indigenous cultures in these areas since ancient times. From there its cultivation spread into Micronesia and Polynesia by the Austronesian expansion ; and to the Middle East and the Mediterranean via the incense trade route, and onwards to Europe and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grapefruit</span> Citrus fruit

The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink/red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clementine</span> Hybrid citrus fruit

A clementine is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange and a sweet orange, named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who first discovered and propagated the cultivar in Algeria. The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines can be separated into 7 to 14 segments. Similar to tangerines, they tend to be easy to peel. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less acid than oranges. Their oils, like other citrus fruits, contain mostly limonene as well as myrcene, linalool, α-pinene and many complex aromatics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandarin orange</span> Small citrus fruit

The mandarin orange, also known as mandarin or mandarine, is a small, rounded citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of orange-coloured citrus fruit consisting of hybrids of mandarin orange with some pomelo contribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tangerine</span> Orange-colored citrus fruit

The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color, that is considered either a variety of Citrus reticulata, the mandarin orange, or a closely related species, under the name Citrus tangerina, or yet as a hybrid of mandarin orange varieties, with some pomelo contribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican tangelo</span> Citrus fruit and plant

The Jamaican tangelo, also known by proprietary names uglifruit, jangelo, uglifruit, and uniq fruit, is a citrus fruit that arose on the island of Jamaica through the natural hybridization of a tangerine or orange with a grapefruit, and is thus a tangelo. The original tree is believed to have been a hybrid formed from the Seville orange, the grapefruit and the tangerine families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citron</span> Species of citrus plant

The citron, historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed through natural hybrid speciation or artificial hybridization. Though citron cultivars take on a wide variety of physical forms, they are all closely related genetically. It is used in Asian cuisine, traditional medicines, perfume, and religious rituals and offerings. Hybrids of citrons with other citrus are commercially more prominent, notably lemons and many limes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitter orange</span> Hybrid citrus plant

Bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree Citrus × aurantium and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross between the pomelo, Citrus maxima, and the mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tangelo</span> Citrus fruit hybrid

The tangelo, Citrus × tangelo, is a citrus fruit hybrid of a Citrus reticulata variety, such as mandarin orange or tangerine, and a Citrus maxima variety, such as a pomelo or grapefruit. The name is a portmanteau of 'tangerine' and 'pomelo'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomelo</span> Citrus fruit from Southeast Asia

The pomelo, from the family Rutaceae, is the largest citrus fruit, and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefruit, the pomelo is commonly consumed and used for festive occasions throughout Southeast Asia. As with the grapefruit, phytochemicals in the pomelo have the potential for drug interactions.

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE), also known as citrus seed extract, is a liquid extract derived from the seeds, pulp, and white membranes of grapefruit. GSE is prepared by grinding the grapefruit seed and juiceless pulp, then mixing with glycerin. Commercially available GSEs sold to consumers are made from the seed, pulp, and glycerin blended together. GSE is sold as a dietary supplement and is used in cosmetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oroblanco</span> Cross between pomelo and grapefruit

An oroblanco, oro blanco, pomelit (Israel) or sweetie is a sweet seedless citrus hybrid fruit similar to grapefruit. It is often referred to as oroblanco grapefruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange (fruit)</span> Citrus fruit

An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae ; it primarily refers to Citrus × sinensis, which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related Citrus × aurantium, referred to as bitter orange. The sweet orange reproduces asexually ; varieties of the sweet orange arise through mutations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ponderosa lemon</span> Citrus fruit and plant

The ponderosa lemon is a citrus hybrid of a pomelo and a citron. It is not the same as the 'Yuma Ponderosa' lemon-pomelo hybrid used as citrus rootstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemon</span> Yellow citrus fruit

The lemon is a species of small evergreen tree in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar, or China.

A mandelo is a citrus fruit that is smaller than a grapefruit, has yellow or yellow-green coloured skin and bright yellow or yellow-orange flesh, but is sweeter than a grapefruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citrus taxonomy</span> Botanical classification of the genus Citrus

Citrus taxonomy refers to the botanical classification of the species, varieties, cultivars, and graft hybrids within the genus Citrus and related genera, found in cultivation and in the wild.

Citrus rootstock are plants used as rootstock for citrus plants. A rootstock plant must be compatible for scion grafting, and resistant to common threats, such as drought, frost, and common citrus diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devanahalli pomelo</span>

The Devanahalli pomelo is a variety of the citrus fruit pomelo of the family Rutaceae. It is exclusively grown in the region around Devanahalli taluk, Bangalore Rural District, India, as an exotic crop variety. Its officially designated name is "Devanahalli Pomello (Chakkota)"; it is locally known as chakkota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand grapefruit</span> Citrus fruit

The New Zealand grapefruit, also known as the Poorman, Poorman orange, poorman's orange, poor man's orange, and goldfruit, is a type of citrus fruit grown in New Zealand. Despite its name, it is not genetically a true grapefruit, but rather is believed to be a hybrid between a pomelo and a mandarin or tangelo.

References

  1. Nosowitz, Dan (6 October 2020). "Grapefruit Is One of the Weirdest Fruits on the Planet". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. Bowman, Kim Dean. 1990. Unexploited germplasm, natural mutations, and selected in vitro techniques for citrus cultivar improvement. Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida.
  3. 1 2 3 Hughes, Griffith (1750). The Natural History of Barbados; In Ten Books. London. p. 127 and accompanying plate.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bowman, Kim D.; Gmitter, Frederick Jr. (April 1990). "Forbidden Fruit (Citrus sp., Rutaceae) Rediscovered in Saint Lucia". Economic Botany. 44 (2): 165–173. JSTOR   4255226.