Variegated Calamondin Budwood

Citrus limonia.

Calamondin Citrus madurensis is an acid fruit that is most commonly grown in the Philippine Islands although it is probably of Chinese origin.  It is believed to be a natural hybrid, with kumquat in the parentage. In the Philippines it is sometimes called calamonding or calamansi.  Here in the United States it is primarily planted as an ornamental, either growing in the ground or in a container. Calamondin is cold-resistant. The tree form is upright and columnar, and the leaves are small and dense giving the tree a fine textural appearance.  The fruits are very small, round, and orange at full maturity.  The orange flesh is acidic, juicy, and contains a few seeds. Calamondin trees flower and set fruit intermittently throughout the year, adding to the decorative appeal of these trees.  A variegated form, with marbled leaves and faintly-striped fruit is sometimes marketed.

Fruit very small, oblate to spherical; apex flattened or depressed.  Rind color orange to orange-red; very thin, smooth, and finely pitted, easily separable only at maturity; sweet and edible.  Segments about 9 and axis small and semi-hollow.  Flesh orange-colored; tender, juicy, and acid.  Seeds few, small, plump, polyembryonic, and with green cotyledons.  Fruit holds on tree remarkably well.

Tree of medium vigor, highly productive, upright and columnar, nearly thornless; leaves small, broadly oval, and mandarin-like.  Strongly cold-resistant.

The mandarin-like Calamondin is the Calamonding of the Philippines, the szukai-kat of southern China and Taiwan, the tôkinkan and shikikitsu of Japan, the djerook kastoori of Java.

Rootstocks of accession: Own root.

Season of ripeness in the Riverside climate and latitude: Year round.

Prepared by the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at The University of California Riverside.