Armstrong Seedless Valencia, Mohn (sec. Hodgson 1967)
Citrus reticulata Blanco [Satsuma Group] (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967, Mabberley 1997); Citrus unshiu Marcov. (sensu Hodgson 1967)
Hodgson (1967) noted that: "The parent budded tree was found about 1928 in the orchard of Pearl C. Mohn at Anaheim, California. The new variety was patented in 1935 (Patent No. 124) and was introduced by the Armstrong Nurseries of Ontario in 1939."
Crown compact or dense, not weeping. First-year twig surface glabrous; second- or third-year twig surface striate; thorns absent or not persistent; prickles absent or not persistent. Petiole glabrous, length medium length, wings narrow and adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets mandarin-like. Fruit broader than long; rind yellow (7-10), yellow-orange (11), orange (12), or red-orange (13); rind texture slightly rough (4-5); firmness leathery; navel absent; flesh orange; taste acidic-sweet.
Hodgson (1967) additionally indicates that: "Presumably a bud variation of Valencia, Armstrong is a Californian variety indistinguishable from the parent except that the fruit is virtually seedless (very occasionally a seed)....It has not achieved much importance, presumably because the parent variety is so nearly seedless (none to five or six seeds)."
Cottin, R. 2002. Citrus of the World: A citrus directory. Version 2.0. France: SRA INRA-CIRAD.
Hodgson, R.W. 1967. Horticultural varieties of Citrus. In: Reuther, W., H.J. Webber, and L.D. Batchelor (eds.). The Citrus industry, rev. University of California Press. http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html.
Mabberley, D.J. 1997. A classification for edible Citrus (Rutaceae). Telopea 7: 167–172.
Search for this cultivar in NCBI Entrez
Additional information on this cultivar at University of California: Riverside Citrus Variety Collection
Citrus ID Edition 2
October, 2011
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