Vivai Gambetta

Citrus Trees

Citrus Trees are a group of plants belonging to the Rutacee family and originating from Asia (Persia, India, Indochina and China). The first Citrus Tress introduced to the Mediterranean Region were the Citrons in the Roman Age, Oranges and Lemon Trees were introduced in the Middle Age and, last but not least, came the Tangerines in the nineteenth century.

As summerized in Table 1: Citrus Trees belong to the Rutacee Family, to the Autantoideae group. Three genres of Citrus Trees are actually grown:

Citrus –It includes evergreen trees and shrubs with:

• Leaves: simple, petioled, coriaceous, dark green leale. The blade is ovate with an entire margin. The lower surface is lighter..

• Flowers: the corolla has 5 white or violet-white petals and 15-60 stamens, the ovary is compound with 8-15 cells with 4- 8 ovules each.

• Fruit:the fruit can be rounded or ovate according to the species and the diameter ranges from 3 to 20 cm. They are yellow or orange.

• Branches: flexible and often spiny. Young branches have green stripes, older branches have green-brown stripes.

• Trunk: straight and quite smooth.

• Bark: dark brown-greenish, completely smooth.

• The most common species are: aurantium, limon, sinensis, reticulata, deliciosa, paradisi, medica, mirtifolia, bergamia, limetta

Fortunella – It includes shrubs with deciduous leaves with:

• Leaves: simple, petioled, coriaceous, dark green. The blade is ovate with an entire margin.

• Flowers: the corolla has 5 white petals.

• Fruit: they are rounded or ovate, according to the species. The diameter ranges from 1 to 4 cm. They are orange.

• Branches: flexible and often spiny. Young branches have green stripes, older branches have green-brown stripes.

• Trunk: straight and quite smooth.

• Bark: dark brown-greenish, completely smooth.

Poncirus – It includes shrubs with deciduous leaves with:

• Leaves: they consisto f three small petioled, coriaceous, dark green small leaves. The blade is ovate with an entire margin.

• Flowers: the corolla has 5 white petals.

• Fruit: rounded, the diameter ranges from 1 to 4 cm, according to the species. They are yellow.

• Branches: flexible and always spiny, quite big. Young branches have green stripes, older branches have green-brown stripes.

• Trunk: often straight and quite smooth. It may as well be windig and irregular.

Go to online Shop