Empress

Synonyms

Green Skinned, Greenrind, Naartje, Natal Tightskin, Redskin, Tightskin (sec. Cottin 2002)

Cultivar or taxon

Citrus reticulata (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967, Mabberley 1997, 2004); Citrus deliciosa Ten. (sensu Hodgson 1967; sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002)

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "Empress originated as a chance South African seedling, believed to be of Emperor, in the Watkinson Nurseries at Nelspruit, eastern Transvaal. It was selected by R. H. Marloth of the Citrus and Subtropical Fruit Research Institute at Nelspruit about 1932. Although the fruit is popular in the local markets, this variety is of primary interest in South Africa as a rootstock."

Description

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; wings narrow, adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades flat or weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets mandarin-like. Fruit broader than long, as broad as long, or longer than broad; rind yellow (7-10), yellow-orange (11), orange (12), or red-orange (13); rind texture slightly rough (4-5) or medium rough (6-7); firmness leathery; navel absent; flesh orange; taste acidic-sweet.

 

Hodgson (1967) provided the following additional notes on the fruit: "Fruit similar to Emperor but averages smaller, is somewhat seedier, and seeds are said to be more highly polyembryonic. Also stores better on the tree, which is more vigorous and upright in growth."

References

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.

Mabberley, D.J. 2004. Citrus (Rutaceae): A review of recent advances in etymology, systematics and medical applications. Blumea 49: 481–498.

Swingle, W.T. and P.C. Reece. 1967. The botany of Citrus and its wild relatives. In: Reuther, W., H.J. Webber, and L.D. Batchelor (eds.). The Citrus industry. Ed. 2. Vol. I. University of California, Riverside. http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter3.html.

Resources

Search for this cultivar in NCBI Entrez