Encore

Synonyms

None

Cultivar or taxon

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

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "This promising, late-ripening variety originated from a cross of King and Willowleaf (Mediterranean) made by H. B. Frost at the University of California Citrus Research Center, Riverside. Encore was selected and introduced in 1965 by Frost's colleagues, J. W. Cameron and R. K. Soost (Cameron, Soost, and Frost 1965)."

Description

Crown compact or dense, not weeping. First-year twig surface glabrous; second- or third-year twig surface striate; thorns straight; prickles absent or not persistent. Petiole glabrous, length short or medium; wings narrow, adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin crenate/crenulate or bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades flat or weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly or strongly 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) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar:

 

"Fruit medium in size, strongly oblate in form; rind thin and moderately adherent but easily peelable; surface texture smooth; color yellowish-orange. Core hollow and segments about 11. Flesh color deep orange; firm in texture, but tender and juicy; flavor rich. Seeds numerous, monoembryonic, and cotyledons usually white. Very late in maturity (fully as late as King) and holds especially well without loss of quality or much puffing of the rind.

 

Tree moderately vigorous, upright-growing, and virtually thornless; many slender branches; density of foliage intermediate between the parents. Leaves resembling King, but with narrower blades and petiole wings. Somewhat alternate bearing but productive."

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 or NCBI Nucleotide

Additional information on this cultivar at University of California: Riverside Citrus Variety Collection