Nova

Synonyms

426-9-22, Clemenvilla, di Villalonga (sec. Cottin 2002)

Cultivar or taxon

Citrus reticulata Blanco (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967, Mabberley 1997, 2004; sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002); Citrus clementina hort. X Citrus x tangelo J.W. Ingram & H.E. Moore (sec. NPGS/GRIN 2010)

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "This very early ripening variety is a sister to the Lee, Osceola, and Robinson mandarins, all four resulting from a Clementine mandarin-Orlando tangelo cross made in 1942 by Gardner and Bellows of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Orlando, Florida, and described and released in 1964 (Reece, Hearn, and Gardner 1964). Since its parents are strongly self-incompatible and more fruitful if cross-pollinated, it seems likely that Nova will exhibit the same characteristics."

The Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) provided the following notes on the cultivar (clone SPB-800-41): "Nova is a USDA hybrid released in 1964. A Clementine x Orlando cross."

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 short or medium; wings absent, if present, narrow, adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly or strongly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets sweetly orange-like or mandarin-like. Fruit broader than long, as broad as long, or longer than broad; rind 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 cultivar: "Fruit much like Orlando in size and form, medium-large, oblate to subglobose and without neck; base slightly rounded; apex nearly flat. Rind thin, leathery, moderately adherent but easily peelable; surface slightly pebbled; color deep yellowish-orange at maturity (deeper than Orlando). Segments about 11, easily separable; central axis medium in size and open. Flesh color deep orange; juicy; flavor pleasant. Seeds numerous in mixed plantings, polyembryonic, and with light green cotyledons. Colors and matures very early (considerably ahead of Orlando)."

The Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar (clone SPB-800-41): "Requires pollination for best yields. Early maturing with fruit similar to Orlando but with higher quality. Medium-large fruit, seedy (1-30), (Lee, TE, OR/TA, Sunburst are pollinators), Cleo is best R/S, larger fruit tend toward granulation. Season: Early, November-December"

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.

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.

Reece, P.C., C.J. Hearn, and F.E. Gardner. 1964. Nova tangelo—an early ripening hybrid. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 77: 109–110.

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