Umatilla

Synonyms

None

Cultivar or taxon

Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Tangor Group] [=Citrus reticulata Blanco X Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Sweet Orange Group]] (sensu Mabberley 1997, 2004); Citrus reticulata Blanco x Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967; sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002)

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "Umatilla is a hybrid of satsuma mandarin and Ruby orange resulting from a cross made in Florida in 1911. This synthetic tangor was named and described by Swingle, Robinson, and Savage (1931). Although described as a tangelo, from which it is indistinguishable, its parentage is that of a tangor. It has not achieved commercial importance except as a specialty fruit in Florida."

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 absent, if present, narrow, adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades flat, weakly or strongly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets mandarin-like. Fruit broader than long; rind yellow (7-10), yellow-orange (11), or orange (12); rind texture smooth (1-3) or slightly rough (4-5); firmness leathery; navel absent; flesh orange; taste acidic-sweet.

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

"Fruit medium-large, reddish-orange, and broadly oblate. Moderately seedy with smooth, medium-thick, moderately adherent rind and hollow axis. Flesh orange-colored; tender, very juicy; flavor rich but acid. Seeds monoembryonic and cotyledons green. Medium-late maturity.

Tree slow growing, spreading, with considerable resemblance to satsuma; productive."

Hodgson (1967) additionally noted that Umatilla is an Owari satsuma-Ruby blood orange hybrid.

Notes

Hodgson (1967) additionally noted that: "In addition to the natural tangors, there are several synthetic tangors, which are the result of breeding work in California and Florida. Only one of these—the Umatilla—has any commercial importance, the others remaining experimental."

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.

Swingle, W.T., T.R. Robinson, and E.M. Savage. 1931. New citrus hybrids. U.S. Department of Agriculture Circular 181: 1–19.

Resources

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