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Citrumelo (× Citroncirus spp.) is also called Swingle citrumelo trifoliate hybrid, because it is cold hardy and is a hybrid between a 'Duncan' grapefruit and a trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.), developed by Walter Tennyson Swingle.

Citrumelo is widely employed as a citrus rootstock, being resistant to the severe citrus tristeza virus and to phytophthora root rot as well as to blight, cold, and citrus nematode. The trees can survive temperatures into the teens (Fahrenheit); one specimen in North Carolina reportedly survived temperatures below zero Fahrenheit.

The fruit are yellow, and up to 4 inches across in size. Their taste is described as "like a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit", or "if sprinkled with sugar like an ordinary grapefruit, harvested perhaps a bit too early".

Taxonomy

Trifoliate orange, according to Swingle, belongs to a citrus-related genus called Poncirus, while grapefruit equivocally belongs to the genus citrus, hence the botanical name × citroncirus is a hybrid genus, derived from citrus and poncirus.

References

1. Francisco de Assis Alves Mourão Filho; Eduardo Augusto Girardi; Hilton Thadeu Zarate do Couto (April 2009). "'Swingle' citrumelo propagation by cuttings for citrus nursery tree production or inarching". Scientia Horticulturae. 120 (2): 207–212. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2008.11.001.
2. Swingle citrumelo trifoliate hybrid (CRC 3771) at Citrus Variety Collection
3. ^ "Citrumelo Hardy Grapefruit". onegreenworld.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
4. ^ "Citrumelo of Nottingham". homecitrusgrowers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2017.

External links

• Citrus
• Citrus hybrids