''Citrus cavaleriei'', the Ichang papeda (Chinese: 宜昌橙), is a slow-growing species of papeda that has characteristic

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

-scented foliage and flowers. It is native to southwestern and west-central China and is likely named for the city of

Yichang Yichang ( zh, s= ), Postal Map Romanization, alternatively romanized as Ichang, is a prefecture-level city located in western Hubei province, China. Yichang had a population of 3.92 million people at the 2022 census, making it the third most pop ...

(宜昌), in China's

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

province. The Ichang papeda is notable for its unusual hardiness. With the exception of ''

Poncirus trifoliata The trifoliate orange, ''Citrus trifoliata'' ( syn. ''Poncirus trifoliata''), is a member of the family Rutaceae. Whether the trifoliate oranges should be considered to belong to their own genus, ''Poncirus'', or be included in the genus ''Citru ...

'', it is the hardiest citrus plant, tolerating both moderate frost and damp conditions.

Description

Relatively rare in cultivation, the Ichang papeda is a large shrub or small tree, growing to , and produces a small,

mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

-like fruit. Leaves feature a broad

petiole Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, and ...

, and resemble the leaves of the

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus'' × ''junos'', from Japanese language, Japanese or ; ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of China, Chinese origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Z ...

and the

kaffir lime ''Citrus hystrix'', called the kaffir lime, Thai lime or makrut lime, (, ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and cr ...

in appearance. The fruit has a fragrant, but rugged rind, and may be oval, spherical, or flattened in shape, ripening to yellow or orange. It contains many large

monoembryonic Monoembryony is the emergence of one and only one seedling from a seed. A seed giving two or more seedlings is polyembryonic. Some of the nuclear cells surrounding the embryo sac In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to an ...

seeds and a small quantity of bitter or sour juice; some fruits lack juice entirely and are instead filled with a mass of pith and seeds. The Ichang papeda is occasionally grown as an ornamental plant. Ichang papeda-later season2

Hybrids

The Ichang papeda has been hybridised with many other citrus varieties, notably to produce hybrids that are relatively cold-hardy. Many of these hybrids also have many culinary applications: * Kabosu - An Ichang papeda x

Bitter orange The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'', and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of th ...

cross. * Shangjuan (also known as the Ichang lemon) - A cross between an Ichang papeda and a

Pomelo The pomelo ( ; or pummelo, ''Citrus maxima''), also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fr ...

. *

Yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus'' × ''junos'', from Japanese language, Japanese or ; ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of China, Chinese origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Z ...

- A naturally occurring hybrid between an Ichang papeda and a

Mandarin orange A mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), often simply called mandarin, is a small, rounded citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. The mandarin is small and oblate, unlike the ...

. ** Hyuganatsu - A Yuzu x

cross. *** Haruka - A Hyuganatsu x Natsudaidai cross. ** Jabara - Yuzu x

cross. **

Sudachi Sudachi (''Citrus sudachi''; Japanese: スダチ or 酢橘) is a small, round, green citrus fruit of Japanese origin that is a specialty of Tokushima Prefecture in Japan. Harvested before it fully ripens to yellow, it is tart and not eaten as ...

- A cross between a Yuzu and a Koji/ Tachibana orange.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15395690 ichangensis Fruits originating in East Asia Plants described in 1913