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50 Varieties of Citrus at UCR

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the UCR Alumni Association, we present monthly features pertaining to the history of the Association and UCR.
This month, in honor of the centennial of the University of California's Citrus Research Center-Agricultural Experiment Station, we feature 50 varieties of citrus.
(UCR actually has over 130 varieties can be viewed at http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/)

SWEET ORANGES

Valencia - Varieties include: Smith Red, Olinda, Midknight, and Delta

Navel - (Varieties include: Cara Cara, Lane Late, Autumn Gold, Barnfield, Chislett, Powell, Summer Gold, Rhode, Wiffen, Navelate, Washington, Skaggs Bonanza, Fisher, Fukumoto, Newhall Nucellar, Navelina, Thomson, Trovita, Rocky Hill, Atwood, Campbell, Cutter andCorrugated Thomson.)

Blood Oranges Varieties include: Moro, Ruby, and Sanguinelli. Blood oranges are the most common of the pigmented oranges marketed in the United States. It is of relatively recent origin and is believed to be of Sicilian ancestry. The orange-colored peel is commonly blushed with a burgundy color. Moro is the most highly-colored of the blood oranges, owing it distinctive flesh color and rind blush to the presence of anthocyanin, the same pigment that colors purple grapes. The color and flavor develop best in the warm inland valleys.

Tarocco Varieties include: Bream, Tarocco #7, and Thermal

Vainiglia Sanguigno is an acidless sweet orange with a pink flesh pigmented by lycopene, a carotenoid. Because of its lack of acidity, the fruit can be eaten as early as late fall or early winter. The fruit is very juicy and is especially prized by Middle-Eastern people.

Bidwells Bar is an example of the type of oranges that were most commonly grown in California before the Washington navel orange arrived on the scene. The original Bidwell’s Bar tree was planted in 1856 in Butte County, California and is often called the “Mother Orange Tree.” It is still alive and is believed to be the oldest living orange tree in California.

Shamouti is a medium to large, oval-shaped sweet orange. It is nearly seedless, and has a thick, leathery rind. Shamouti peels well, and ships and stores well. It is a midseason fruit. Although Shamouti is the preferred name of the fruit, it has also been called Jaffa in Europe. The tree is sensitive to heat and aridity, and so it is not adapted to hot desert or semitropical climates. Shamouti originated some time prior to 1844 in an orchard near Jaffa, Palestine (now Isreal), as a limb sport. Within a few decades, it became the leading variety.

All photos courtesy of http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu

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