Eustis

Synonyms

None

Cultivar or taxon

Citrus x floridana (J.W. Ingram & H.E. Moore) Mabb. [=Citrus x aurantiifolia (Chrism.) Swingle X Citrus japonica Thunb.] (sensu Mabberley 2004); Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle X Fortunella sp. (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967; sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002)

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "Eustis and Lakeland are sister hybrids of the West Indian lime and the round kumquat (Fortunella japonica), and Tavares is a similar hybrid with the oval kumquat (Fortunella margarita). They were made by W. T. Swingle of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Florida in 1909 and were named and described in 1913."

The Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) provided the following notes on the cultivar (clone DPI-843-1): "Limequat received from the USDA in 1982. Origin: West Indian lime and the round kumquat (Fortunella japonica) cross made by W. Swingle in 1909 at Eustis Florida."

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; wings narrow or wide, adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin entire or crenate/crenulate, shade leaflet blades weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets freshly lemon-like. Fruit as broad as long or longer than broad; rind green-yellow (6), yellow (7-10), or yellow-orange (11); rind texture smooth (1-3) or slightly rough (4-5); firmness leathery; navel absent; flesh yellow; taste sour.

 

The Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar (clone DPI-843-1): "Description: Light yellow, juicy, thin skinned, few seeds, rind edible, inconspicuous thorns, not true from seeds, ever flowering, more cold resistant than lime."

References

Chiefland Budwood Facility. 2010. 2010 Annual report July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010. Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Winter Haven.

Cottin, R. 2002. Citrus of the World: A citrus directory. Version 2.0. France: SRA INRA-CIRAD.

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

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