Wekiwa

Synonyms

Pink, Wakiwa (sec. Cottin 2002)

Cultivar or taxon

Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Grapefruit Group] X Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Tangelo Group] [=Citrus reticulata Blano X Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Grapefruit Group]] (sensu Mabberley 1997, 2004); Citrus paradisi Macfad. X (Citrus reticulata Blanco x Citrus paradisi Macfad.) (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967); Citrus paradisi Macfad. X Citrus x tangelo J.W. Ingram & H.E. Moore (sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002; sec. NPGS/GRIN 2010)

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "Wekiwa is a hybrid of grapefruit and Sampson tangelo and, therefore, is in reality a tangelolo. It has not achieved commercial importance but is of interest as a novelty and because of its pink rind coloration."

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

Hodgson (1967) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar:

"Fruit medium-small, spherical to obovate or pyriform; color pale yellow; seeds comparatively few. Rind medium-thick, smooth, and fairly adherent; axis solid. Flesh tender, juicy; flavor sweet and mildly acid, becoming unpleasant when overripe. Under favorable conditions rind pink-blushed and flesh amber-pink. Early in maturity.

Tree lacking in vigor but productive; leaves small and rounded-oval."

Notes

Hodgson (1967) additionally noted that Wekiwa more closely resembles grapefruits and pummelos.

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

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