The pomelo is by the same author considered to be indigenous to the
Pacific Islands east of Java, the citron and affiliated species to
have originated in India, and the sour orange east of India, and all
to have been in cultivation for over two thousand years. The antiquity
of the orange and mandarin is less, both species being from China
and Cochin China.
All these species have been introduced into the Philippine Archipelago,
and are well distributed excepting the sour orange, which is rarely
seen. The discussion of all species refers to them as found in the
Philippines except when otherwise stated.
No very distinct types are found among the oranges or mandarins;
the variation in the pomelo is considerable, although, so far as
the writer has noted, scarcely enough to warrant the distinction of
separate varieties. Both the white and red-fleshed types occur with
many gradations, but no studies have been made to note which other
correlative characters, if any, are identified with these different
forms. The very primitive pomelos (Pl. II, c) that are not infrequently
seen in cultivation might indicate that this species is indigenous
to the Philippines, though so far as the writer knows the tree has
never been seen in the virgin forest. Closer observations have been
made on the general type represented by the citron, including the
lemon and lime, and several distinct forms have been recognized.
The calamondin, C. mitis Blanco, is well known to be indigenous,
as well as the cabuyao and related plants that have been referred to
C. histrix DC. In the first-named species there seem to be no very
marked variations.
C. histrix was described by De Candolle, flowers and fruits excepted,
from a plant growing in Montpellier, being recognized principally by
its long broad-winged petioles and free stamens. The writer has not
had the opportunity to see the original description of C. histrix
or examine the type specimen, but Swingle refers to it in Jour. of
Agri. Research, Vol. I, No. 1, page 10, 1913, as having broadly winged
petioles, often larger than the blades, the wings being more gradually
narrowed toward the base and usually more abruptly truncate at the
tip than C. ichangensis Swingle, making then somewhat triangular
in outline.
Within these broad limitations a number of otherwise remarkably
distinct forms may be recognized some of which were illustrated
in a previous publication, Bureau of Agriculture Bulletin No. 27,
Citriculture in the Philippines, 1913, and referred to C. histrix
with the statement that "some of these forms unquestionably will be
recognized as subspecies on closer study, or possibly as separate
species." Since then several plants of this type in the citrus
collection assembled at Lamao by the Bureau of Agriculture have bloomed
and fruited, affording an opportunity for fuller observations, and
these have been further complemented during a trip to Bohol and Cebu
in May, 1914, and by the fruits forwarded by Mr. E. F. Southwick.
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