Citrus macroptera

Description

Citrus macroptera is so-named because of the large "wings" (-ptera) on the petiole, which is as large as the blade of the leaf. The tree, which has thorns, can reach 5 m in height. Its fruit is about 6 – in diameter, has a fairly smooth, moderately thick rind, and is yellow when ripe. The pulp of the fruit is greenish-yellow and dry (does not produce much juice). The juice is very bitter, and somewhat sour.

Varieties

The species is sometimes divided into four varieties, or alternatively into three separate species, as follows:

• C. macroptera var. macroptera
• C. macroptera var. annamensis Tanaka - C. combara Raf.
• C. macroptera var. combara (Raf.) Tanaka - C. combara Raf.
• C. macroptera var. kerrii Swingle - C. kerrii (Swingle) Tanaka

Cultivation

Citrus macroptera is cultivated widely in the Sylhet region (South Asia) of Bangladesh and the Barak Valley Division of the Indian state of Assam, where it is known as hatkhora or (, ).

Citrus macroptera is cultivated on a small scale in home gardens in the northeast Indian states of Mizoram, Tripura, and Meghalaya, where its fruit is used for various purposes. A cultivar of C. macroptera var. annamensis is grown in the Sylhet Division of northeastern Bangladesh.

Citrus macroptera is also commercially cultivated in South Africa, Spain, and Tonga. In Spain the plant serves as a rootstock for other Citrus species.

Uses

Culinary uses

In Bangladesh, especially Sylhet, the thick fleshy rind of Citrus macroptera is eaten as a vegetable, while the pulp is usually discarded because of its bitter-sour taste. The thick rind is cut into small pieces and cooked (either green or ripe) in beef, mutton, and fish curries, it is also used in Dal. The rind is often sun-dried for later cooking and consumption. The fruit is also pickled.

Perfumery

The oil of the annamensis cultivar is used in the perfume industry.

References

References

1. {{GRIN
2. Harley I. Manner, Richard S. Buker, Virginia Easton Smith, Deborah Ward, and Craig R. Elevitch 2006. Species profiles for Pacific Island agroforestry: ''Citrus'' (citrus) and ''Fortunella'' (kumquat), Rutaceae (Rue family). [http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Citrus-citrus.pdf pdf]
3. (2010). "TPL, treatment of ''Citrus hystrix'' DC.". [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] and the [[Missouri Botanical Garden]].
4. (January 2017). "Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Studies of Citrus macroptera : A Medicinal Plant Review". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
5. Porcher Michel H. et al. 1995–2020 (2007). Sorting Citrus Names: Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (M.M.P.N.D) - A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia. [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Citrus.html]
6. (June 2013). "Socio-economic importance, domestication trends and in situ conservation of wild Citrus species of Northeast India". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution.
7. (2002). "Regeneration of Plantlets Through Somatic Embryogenesis from Nucellus Tissue of ''Citrus macroptera'' Mont. var. ''anammensis'' ('Sat Kara')". Plant Tissue Culture.
8. Peter Hanelt (ed.) 2001 ''Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops (except ornamentals), first English edition''. Springer. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kqqH6UdyYnoC&pg=PA1020 in Google Books]