Moanalua, Monalua (sec. Cottin 2002)
Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr. (sensu Mabberley 1997, Bayer et al. 2009; sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002); Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967)
Hodgson (1967) noted that: "The origin of Tahitian is obscure but it is believed to have developed in Tahiti from seed from Borneo whence it was taken to Hawaii. The variety is of local and limited importance only, but is highly reputed for its excellent quality."
Crown compact or dense, not weeping. First-year twig surface pubescent; second- or third-year twig surface striate; thorns straight; prickles absent or not persistent. Petiole pubescent, length very long; wings wide, tucking beneath blade. Leaflets one, margin entire or bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly or strongly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets freshly lemon-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 smooth (1-3) or slightly rough (4-5); firmness leathery; navel absent; flesh yellow; taste grapefruit-like.
Hodgson (1967) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar: "Mention should be made of the so-called Tahitian grapefruit because of its distinctive characteristics and high quality. This agreeably-flavored fruit is in reality a thin-rinded, highly juicy pummelo. The seeds are monoembryonic and otherwise typical of the pummelo and the shoot growth is much more pubescent than any of the grapefruits. The faintly amber flesh color suggests the possibility that it may be lightly pigmented under conditions more favorable for color development."
Bayer, R.J., D.J. Mabberley, C. Morton, C.H. Miller, I.K. Sharma, B.E. Pfeil, S. Rich, R. Hitchcock, and S. Sykes. 2009. A molecular phylogeny of the orange subfamily (Rutaceae: Aurantioideae) using nine cpDNA sequences. American Journal of Botany 96: 668–685.
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.
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.
Search for this cultivar in NCBI Entrez
Additional information on this cultivar at University of California: Riverside Citrus Variety Collection
Citrus ID Edition 2
October, 2011
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