Citron 367867 224888945 2008-07-10T21:23:34Z 86.39.103.177 {{Taxobox | name = Citron | image = Citrus medicus fruit.jpg | image_width = 250px | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | ordo = [[Sapindales]] | familia = [[Rutaceae]] | genus = ''[[Citrus]]'' | species = '''''C. medica''''' | binomial = ''Citrus medica'' | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] | subdivision_ranks = [[Varieties]] and [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]s | subdivision = }} {{otheruses}} The '''citron''' is a fragrant fruit with the botanical name ''Citrus medica'' [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]], which applies to both the [[Swingle]] and [[Nobuyuki Tanaka|Tanaka]] systems. It is a prominent member in the genus ''[[Citrus]]'', belonging to the [[Rutaceae]] or Rue family, sub-family ''[[Rutaceae#Classification|Aurantioideae]]''. The designation ''Medica'' is apparently derived from the similar ancient names ''Media'', ''Median Apple'' etc. which were influenced by [[Theophrastus]] who considered it being native to [[Medes|Media]], [[Persia]] or [[Assyria]]. The citron has many similar names in diverse languages, e.g. cederat, cedro, etc. Most confusing are the [[French language|French]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian]] languages, in which the [[false friend]] "citron" refers to the fruit which is called [[lemon]] in English. ==Uses== ''Main Article: [[Succade]]''; ''Main Article: [[Etrog (ritual)]]''<br /> The citron is unlike the more common citrus species like the [[lemon]] or [[Orange (fruit)|orange]]. While the most popular fruits are peeled in order to consume its pulpy and [[juice|juicy]] [[flavedo|segments]] – the citron's pulp is very dry containing only little insipid juice. Moreover, the main content of a citron is the thick white rind, which is very adherent to the segments, and cannot be separated from them easily. Thus, from [[ancient]] through [[medieval]] times, the citron was used mainly for medical purposes: to combat against [[seasickness]], [[pulmonary]] troubles, [[intestine|intestinal]] ailments, and other disorders. The [[essential oil]] of the [[flavedo]] was also regarded as an [[antibiotic]]. Citron juice with [[wine]] was considered an effective [[antidote]] to [[poison]]. Today, the citron uses for the [[fragrance]] or [[Zest (ingredient)|zest]] of its outer peel, but the most important part is still the [[Fruit_anatomy#Mesocarp|albedo]], which is a fairly important article in [[international trade]], and is widely employed in the food industry as [[succade]]<ref> [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University] * [http://www.cretancitron.gr/ The Citron in Crete] * [http://www.vinetreeorchards.com/citron.htm Vine Tree Orchards] </ref>. Today there is a rising market for the citron is the [[United States]] for the soluble fiber which is found in its thick [[flavedo|albedo]]. The citron is also used by [[Jews]] for a religious [[ritual]] during the [[Feast of Tabernacles]], by whom it is called [[Etrog]]. Therefore the citron was always considered as a Jewish symbol, and is found on various Hebrew antiques and archeological foundlings. ==Description and Variation== {{Etrog}} The citron fruit is usually [[ovate]] or oblong, narrowing up till the [[Etrog#Pitom|stylar]] end. However, the citron's fruit shape is highly variable, due to the big quantity of [[Mesocarp#Mesocarp|albedo]] which forms independently according to the fruits' position on the tree, twig orientation, and many other factors. This could also be the reason of its being protuberant, forming a "v" shape after the end of the segments till the stylar end. The rind is leathery, furrowed, and adherent. The inner portion thick, white and fleshy – the outer uniformly thin, and very fragrant. The pulp is usually acidic, but also sweet and even pulpless varieties are found. Most citron varieties contain a large number of seeds. The [[monoembryonic]] seeds are white colored; with dark innercoat and red-purplish [[chalazal spot]] for the acidic varieties, and colorless for the sweet ones. Some citron varieties are also distinct with their persistent [[carpel|style]], which is highly appreciated by the Jewish community. [[Image:Buddhahand2.jpg|thumb|left|180px|The fingered Citron]] Citrons could be of very special beauty. The nicer ones are those with medium sized oil bubbles at the outer surface, which are medially distant each to another. Some of them are ribbed and faintly warted in outer surface, adding life and attraction to its beauty. There is also a fingered citron variety called [[Buddha's Hand]]. Color is changing from green when unripe, till yellow-orange when overripe. The citron would never fall off the tree and could reach 8-10 pounds (4-5 kg) if not picked off timely or even early<ref>Un curieux Cedrat marocain, Chapot 1950. * [http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref>. However, they should be picked off before the winter as the branches might break, or bend to the ground and may cause numerous fungal diseases for the tree. The slow-growing [[shrub]] or small tree is reaching a height of about 8 to 15 ft (2.4-4.5 m); has irregular straggling branches and stiff twigs and long [[spine (botany)|spines]] at the [[leaf]] [[axils]]. The evergreen leaves are green and lemon scented with slightly serrate edges, ovate-lanceolate or ovate elliptic 2 1/2 to 7 inch long. [[Petiol]]es are usually wingless or with minor wings. The flowers are generally unisexual providing [[self-pollination]], but some male individuals could be found due to [[pistil]] [[abortion]]. The clustered flowers of the acidic varieties are purplish tinted from outside, but the sweet ones are white-yellowish. The [[acid]]ic varieties include the [[Florentine citron|Florentine]] and [[Diamante citron]] from [[Italy]], the [[Greek citron]], the [[Balady citron]] from [[Palestine]]. The sweet varieties include the [[Corsican citron|Corsican]] and [[Moroccan citron]]s. Between the pulpless are also some [[Fingered citron|Fingered]] varieties and the [[Yemenite Citron]]. The citron tree is very vigorous with almost no dormancy, blooming several times a year, therefore fragile and extremely sensitive.<ref>[http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html#acid The citrus Industry], [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html#Varieties The Purdue University] </ref> The farmer's choice is to graft it onto foreign rootstock, but since this practice is forbidden by Jewish Law, the progeny will not be [[kosher]] for the Jewish ritual. Despite the variation among the cultivars, authorities agree that the citron specie is a very old one. There is molecular evidence that all other cultivated citrus species only arose by [[Hybrid_%28biology%29#Hybrid_plants|hybridization]] among the ancestral types, which are the '''citron''', [[pummelo]], [[Mandarin orange|mandarin]] and [[papeda]]s. The citron is believed to be the purest of them all, since it is usually [[fertilized]] by [[self-pollination]], it hardly accepts foreign pollen, and is therefore considered to be the male parent rather than a female one.<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/tjggcl5wyyu6l69d/ Citrus phylogeny and genetic origin of important species as investigated by molecular markers. 2000] * [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TC3-4C4W511-1&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F01%2F2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f7bbd7704b524d334d55bf64c3c577c6 Phylogenetic relationships in the “true citrus fruit trees” revealed by PCR-RFLP analysis of cpDNA. 2004] * [http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005] * [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-8071(194306)104%3A4%3C602%3ACNITSA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-9 Chromosome Numbers in the Subfamily Aurantioideae with Special Reference to the Genus Citrus; C. A. Krug. Botanical Gazette, Vol. 104, No. 4 (Jun., 1943), pp. 602-611] * [http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowFulltext&ProduktNr=224037&Ausgabe=230610&ArtikelNr=82410 The relationships among lemons, limes and citron: a chromosomal comparison. by R. Carvalhoa, W.S. Soares Filhob, A.C. Brasileiro-Vidala, M. Guerraa].</ref> ==Origin and distribution== Today, authorities agree that all citrus species are native to Southeast [[Asia]] where they are found wild and in an uncultivated form. The fascinating story about how they spread to the [[Mediterranean]] has been reported by many (Calabrese F.<ref>La favolso storia degli agrumi. L'EPOS, 1998, Palerno Italy.</ref>; Chapot, Henri <ref>The citrus plant, p.6-13. in: Citrus. Ciba-Geigy Agrochemicals Tech. Monogr.4. Ciba-Geigy Ltd., 1975, Basle, Switzerland.</ref>; Tolkowsky S.<ref>Hesperides. A history of the culture and use of citrus fruits, p.371. John Bale, Sons and Curnow, 1938, London, England.</ref>) <ref>[http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter1.htm#origin The Citrus Industry] ^[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University] ^[http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref>. The citron especially sounds to be native to [[India]] bordering [[Burma]], where it is found in valleys at the foot of the [[Himalaya]] Mountains, and in the Western Ghauts.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=uDgCAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA268&lpg=RA1-PA268&dq=sir+joseph+hooker+citrus&source=web&ots=mXMRtehpon&sig=v3sGY9unJ2rpz9jH4-YOQis1oEE Sir Joseph Hooker (Flora of British India, i. 514)]</ref> <ref>[http://www.fao.org/AG/agp/agps/Pgrfa/pdf/nepal.pdf COUNTRY REPORT TO THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (Leipzig, 1996); Prepared by: Nepal Agricultural Research Council; Kathmandu, June 1995; CHAPTER 2.2]</ref> It is still considered that by the time of Theophrastus, the citron was mostly cultivated in the Persian Gulf on its way to the Mediterranean basin, where it was cultivated during the later centuries in different areas as described by Erich Isaac<ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-0095(195901)35%3A1%3C71%3ATCITMA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S The Citron in the Mediterranean: a study in religious influences; economic Geography, Vol. 35 No. 1. (Jan. 1959) pp. 71-78]</ref>. Many mention the role of [[Alexander the Great]] and his armies, to be responsible for the spread of the citron westward, reaching the [[Europe]]an countries like [[Greek citron|Greece]] and [[Diamante Citron|Italy]]<ref>[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html#Origin%20and%20Distribution The Pordue University] * [http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/ethrog.html Treatise on Citron by the UCR] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=o3UD2iL4sAAC&pg=PA424&lpg=PA424&dq=Alexander+the+great+citron&source=web&ots=SuRa0iMSGE&sig=Mgvno_gSX9Osl5agmRKXouinlcQ&hl=en Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=OLaykfpqSaYC&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=alexander+the+great+citron&source=web&ots=XgwlLoMPIz&sig=xZTw2yr9aK5Gbt8rQts0rkEVBWc&hl=en Citrus: The Genus Citrus] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=SmRJnd73dbYC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=alexander+the+great+citron&source=web&ots=vFwVODlm45&sig=R1RQ4NL-ncWrmXqmD7Z2qNGCckM&hl=en Biology of Citrus] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=WP3ohzxbRxgC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=alexander+the+great+citron&source=web&ots=JDzoL7VlrE&sig=lzvlQ4A5FFmLdF4Y2njrjlD-z6U&hl=en Citrus Fruits and their Culture] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=Fo087ZxohA4C&pg=PA200&dq=alexander+the+great+citron&ei=BxEeSNS4IKiUyQS976DYBg&sig=8m3KRthC9U9yHesy1QaCUxImADU Food in China] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=tsNBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA255&dq=alexander+the+great+citron&ei=BxEeSNS4IKiUyQS976DYBg The Cultivated Oranges and Lemons]</ref>. The citron is already [[Plants mentioned in the Bible|mentioned in the]] [[Torah]] for the ritual use during the [[Feast of Tabernacles]] ([http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0323.htm Lev. 23:40]). It is considered that the Jews brought it along by [[The Exodus]] from [[Egypt]], where archeological evidence found it to be since the times of [[Thutmosis III]]<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=21oCAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PR20&lpg=RA3-PR20&dq=citron+persian+gulf&source=web&ots=klMYUN2T2j&sig=yw8NWysVK3VgV0xYDCcmmdB9VK0#PRA3-PR20,M1 Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society]</ref>. The opinion that the citron was the [[forbidden fruit]] in the [[Hesperides]] or [[Garden of Eden|Eden]] is not providing any geographical positioning, since the exact orientation of the Hesperidies is unclear. Besides, there are enough reasons to conclude that it was in the [[Far East]], for example [[India]] or [[Yemen]], that the citron is likely to have originated. ==The Citron in antiquity== The citron has been cultivated since ancient times, predating the cultivation of other citrus [[species|species]]. Despite its minor importance today being hardly consumed as is, it seems that in different times it played a big role in life. We can obtain that from the way it has been described by numerous writings and poets across centuries. As assumed by observation, it is very likely that when the other citrus species arrived, they pushed the citron off the road, since most of its benefits could be found in the lemon which is much easier to cultivate. The following is from the writings of [[Theophrastus]]<ref>''Historia plantarum'' 4.4.2-3 (''exc.'' Athenaeus ''Deipnosophistae'' 3.83.d-f); cf. Vergil ''Georgics'' 2.126-135; Pliny ''Naturalis historia'' 12.15,16.</ref> ::''In the east and south there are special plants... i.e. in Media and Persia there are many types of fruit, between them there is a fruit called Median or Persian Apple. The tree has a leaf similar to and almost identical with that of the ''andrachn'' (''[[Arbutus]] andrachne'' L.), but has [[Spine (botany)|thorn]]s like those of the ''apios'' (the wild [[pear]], '''Pyrus amygdaliformis''' Vill.) or the ''oxyacanthos'' (the fire thorn, ''[[Cotoneaster]] pyracantha'' Spach.), except that they are white, smooth, sharp and strong. ::''The fruit is not eaten, but is very fragrant, as is also the [[leaf]] of the tree; and the fruit is put among [[clothes]], it keeps them from being [[moth]]-eaten. It is also useful when one has drunk deadly poison, for when it is administered in [[wine]]; it upsets the [[stomach]] and brings up the poison. It is also useful to improve the [[breath]], for if one boils the inner part of the fruit in a dish or squeezes it into the mouth in some other medium, it makes the breath more pleasant. ::''The seed is removed from the fruit and sown in the [[Spring (season)|spring]] in carefully tilled beds, and it is watered every fourth or fifth day. As soon the plant is strong it is [[Transplanting|transplant]]ed, also in the spring, to a soft, well watered site, where the soil is not very fine, for it prefers such places. ::''And it bears its fruit at all [[seasons]], for when some have gathered, the flower of the others is on the tree and is ripening others. Of the [[flowers]] I have said<ref>''Historia plantarum'' 1.13.4.</ref> those which have a sort of distaff [meaning the [[carpel|pistil]]] projecting from the middle are fertile, while those which do not have this are sterile. It is also sown, like [[date palm]]s, in pots punctured with holes. ::''This tree, as has been remarked, grows in ''Media'' and ''Persia''.'' Later with about 400 years it was also described by [[Pliny the Elder]],<ref>''Naturalis historia'' 16.135; 13.103; 17.64.</ref> who was calling it ''nata Assyria malus''. ::''The Assyrian fruit, which some call Median, is an antidote for poisons. Its leaf is like that of the ''andrachn'' (''[[Arbutus]] andrachne'' L.), but with thorns running between. The fruit is notable for the fact that it is not eaten and has a strong odor, as also do the leaves, which impregnates clothes stored with them and keeps away harmful insects. ::''The tree itself bears fruit continuously; some dropping off, others ripening, and still others budding. ::''People have tried to introduce the tree into their land in [[clay]] vessels because of its medicinal efficacy, providing breathing for the roots by making holes in the vessels; …but except among Media and in Persia, it has refused to grow. ::''This is the fruit whose pips we have related Parthian nobles boiled in foods in order to eliminate bad breath. No other tree is so highly praised in Media. The citron was always considered as a Jewish [[symbol]], and is found on various Hebrew [[antique]]s and [[archeological]] foundlings. {{commons|Citrus_fruits#Citrons|Citron}} == References == {{wikispecies|Citrus medica}} {{reflist}} * [http://books.google.com/books?id=Y6c4AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=greek+citron&source=web&ots=s0gUaKaQr-&sig=-kzCzSRGHlNJXNFKPMJLgWecveQ#PPA59,M1 Citrus Fruits and Their Culture By H. Harold Hume] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=LBucOPN6zjwC&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=citron+mesopotamia&source=web&ots=-XRKje6h6i&sig=3AO2M5XpXO_Ufbh-W0BH-u-JEIE All Kinds of Scented Wood By Richard S. Barnett] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=Fo087ZxohA4C&pg=PA200&lpg=PA200&dq=citron+mesopotamia&source=web&ots=7RZCSKOgR4&sig=g7SKuEJ21sB0Zvu_O3QZoYNzz_w#PPA200,M1 Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry By Frederick J. Simoons] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=SmRJnd73dbYC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=citron+mesopotamia&source=web&ots=vEFRKEdi13&sig=iIX1GbU4lPmo4ctAmK7-2b5Par8#PPA7,M1 Biology of Citrus By Pinhas Spiegel-Roy, Eliezer E. Goldschmidt] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=XbX3VOh5ziYC&pg=RA5-PA182&dq=citron+mesopotamia&as_brr=3&ei=XV1CR9iAAYuA6wLt-biIBw The Encyclopaedia Britannica: “a” Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature ... edited by Hugh Chisholm] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=OLaykfpqSaYC&pg=PA3&dq=citron+mesopotamia&as_brr=3&ei=pV1CR6nCOYfI6wL60PH-Bg&sig=u3sWOt-7urYnXQ-HRmVesWUOfYU Citrus: The Genus Citrus By Giovanni Dugo, Angelo Di Giacomo] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=1GcEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA148&dq=citron+mesopotamia&as_brr=3&ei=pV1CR6nCOYfI6wL60PH-Bg#PPA148,M1 The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and ... By Hugh Chisholm] ==External links== * [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?10745 USDA] * [http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/citrons.html Citrus Pages] * [http://plantbiology.ucr.edu/people/?Roose#CitrusDiversity Citrus Diversity by the University of Callifornia] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=jb05AAAAMAAJ&q=citron+albedo&dq=citron+albedo&ei=f1AmR66eCoP06wL91tA_&pgis=1 Fruit Breeding in India: Papers By G. S. Nijjar] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=BxUyssIX-H4C&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=5peK6JbDUd&sig=O9F7YyD7Cnu4DbqnBnfmWOutlVY#PPA17,M1 Palestine Under the Muslems] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=KPAMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=Tjtk-wP3Jm&sig=xEz1x5lb8dRagS9nzI-TD5Hldyg#PPA42,M1 Proceedings, Google Book Search] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=wo8csizDv0gC&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=jpOPzW7uho&sig=x8EhjXh77OBdCpOA0ZWIPJi9fis#PPA214,M1 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A-D By Geoffrey William Bromiley] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=tsaCbFmmiOoC&pg=PA82&dq=citron+albedo&ei=WU8mR8XbCZPM6ALotulA&sig=l79ewrIU1YCg7y1Y5XTSqj8W7KY#PPA82,M1 The Great Citrus Book: A Guide With Recipes By Allen Susser] * [http://www.stuartxchange.org/Kalamansi.html ''Citrus medica'' used as a medicinal plant.] * Peel confection and candying [http://books.google.com/books?id=OLaykfpqSaYC&pg=PA171&dq=citron+albedo&ei=f1AmR66eCoP06wL91tA_&sig=imxES5qBYEXpz1PYGSw9hljhqu0#PPA171,M1 Citrus: The Genus Citrus By Giovanni Dugo, Angelo Di Giacomo] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=LgvYxBG5kUkC&pg=PA465&lpg=PA465&dq=greek+citron&source=web&ots=Kb4COmtk-F&sig=VE7MfGAKzO8LTX0Im5uLE_75u5o Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=kqcMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA180&lpg=PA180&dq=citrus+medica+mesopotamia&source=web&ots=JWITvDWZGM&sig=M-XptXleQBjY-niohAvapDYwmRs#PPA178,M1 Origin of Cultivated Plants By Alphonse de Candolle] * [http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Citrus/index.html Give Me A Squeeze] * [http://www.alchemy-works.com/herb_citron.html Alchemy Works] [[Category:Citrus]] [[Category:Medicinal plants]] [[Category:Citron]] [[Category:Fragrances]] [[Category:Essential oils]] [[Category:Sukkot]] [[Category:Four Species]] [[Category:False friends]] [[ar:أترج]] [[da:Cedrat]] [[de:Zitronatzitrone]] [[es:Citrus medica]] [[fa:بالنگ]] [[fr:Cédrat]] [[it:Citrus medica]] [[he:אתרוג]] [[ja:シトロン]] [[pt:Cidra]] [[pl:Cytron]] [[ru:Цитрон]] [[sk:Citronát]] [[fi:Sukaattisitruuna]] [[th:ส้มโอมือ]] [[tr:Ağaç kavunu]] [[yi:אתרוג]] [[eo:Cedrato]]